SuperFreak is coming home!

Just got off the phone with the vet, and our little Freak is doing well! I'm on my way to pick her up! YEAH!

SuperFreak's update!

Whew. Freak came through surgery ok. Her left adrenal gland was malformed and there were lots of lumps on it. According to the vet, she looks really good in there - now that it's gone. Also, there were no signs of leftover ovarian tissue or uterus from her spay, which was something that I was concerned about since the first vet said that if even a small portion of ovarian tissue, or a part of the uterus, had dropped inside during her spay that she could still experience estrus. Her surgeon, Dr. Chris, sent her adrenal gland out for a biopsy to see if it was malignant or not, but the results won't be back in for about a week; however, since this was a total removal, even if the gland is malignant, she has a very good chance! That's GREAT NEWS!

Freak has stainless steel sutures and she will be spending the night at the vet's just to make sure everything is ok. If all goes well, I can pick her up tomorrow morning after 9:00. Of course, she will need to be kept away from my other ferrets for awhile, and her stitches can be removed in about 10 days. One of her meds is Buprenex, but I can't remember the others. So far, my little girl is doing great!

SuperFreak's Surgery

SuperFreak and I are heading to Columbus for her surgery this morning. She has an experienced vet (who also has ferrets), and I just know that she has the very best possible care. She will spend the night there, and if all goes well she will be home tomorrow sometime. I'll post updates as I get them.

Here's to my pretty girl, my little Freak!

Meet my cage full of pet mini-wolverines!

Little Richard says it best in that Geico commercial: "Help me, please, somebody help me, wooooo!"

"MY HOUSE HAS BEEN INVADED BY FEROCIOUS WOLVERINES - EGADS!"

giggles

But seriously, folks, I promised to post up pix of my winnings at the SGGA! My stepson was the actual winner, and he is a REAL MICHIGAN FAN (he should be - he's from Detroit)!

Anyway, he kept all of the people stuff, and he said that I could have all of the glider stuff (since his only pet is a kitten named Samantha) - IF I would promise to maintain one of my seven glider cages in MICHIGAN BLUE forever.

Voila! Here it is - the premiere of my "cage full of pet Wolverines"! How many Ohio State alums can claim to have something like this in their homes? I know the matching red Stealth Wheel (custom-designed and made for me by SugaRae's Attic) and fleece don't match up with this particular color scheme; still, it's a striking contrast, and it just goes to show you that I am, fundamentally, a Buckeye at heart - pun intended! Anyway, since I don't have a matching wheel in blue and maize - this is what I had to do. Now, you can be certain that as soon as I get back into the scheme of things at least one (if not more) of my cages will be just as totally decked out scarlet and gray! GO BUCKS!

So, without further adieu, meet the kids: Bill & Evey and Meg & BooBoo (all are non-related and my males are neutered - just in case you wondered). Meg is pictured, left, BooBoo, center, and Evey, far right. Bill was checking out the toys and glided off the hammock as I took the picture.















Tomorrow, my darling ferret, SuperFreak, goes in for her surgery to remove her adrenal gland. Updates on SuperFreak to come!

SuperFreak

Yesterday, while playing with my crazy little SuperFreak and Morrigan (see below), I noticed that her vulvar area was swollen, as if she were going into heat; however, my Freaky is a spayed and descented ferret and this should not be possible. Most ferrets in the U.S. are spayed and descented before being sold to the public, and, once these procedures have been completed, it is customary for two blue tattoos to be placed on the ferret's ear. Freaky had both blue dots.

Anyway, I called my vet, and I got her in this morning (it was time for my girls' annual shots, too) so he could take a look. My vet recommended I see a specialist; so, we went on to East Hilliard Vet Center where Dr. Chris gave SuperFreak a thorough examination, and she said, without doubt, my little one had adrenal gland disease. I was so shocked to hear this, and I cried my heart out. I had heard and read about adrenal gland disease in ferrets, and what I had remembered was all bad. I had never imagined one of my ferrets would ever have it - especially one who is not even two years old yet. I was so worried for my little Freaky, who was absolutely showing Dr. Chris how she earned her name by zipping around, sneaking in and out of my shirt, and prancing all over the place - all at once (that's mommy's girl - what a little showoff!).

Freaky's attitude and appearance are so important in this case because my Freaky is the picture of health, and I would NOT have known there were any problem, whatsover, except for the swelling of her vulva. Adrenal gland disease typically expresses itself by the ferret losing hair (or the hair begins to thin around the tail and then progress up and over the back), but my Freaky is still a furry little girl, and her weight is good. The first vet weighed her in at 1.4 pounds, and the second at 1.7. A healthy weight for a female ferret is between one and three pounds. Thank God her weight is good. I am just hoping we have caught this early enough and this is not cancerous.

Dr. Chris thoroughly explained Freak's treatment options, and listed the pros and cons of each - both medical and surgical. I love my little Freak, and I want her to have the best chance - best life possible; so, we opted for surgery. SuperFreak is scheduled for surgery Monday morning between 8:00 and 8:30.

For more information on Adrenal Gland Disease in ferrets, see Dr. Bruce William's article posted at Ferret Central.org.

Edited: Jess, haha, thank you! Yes, a female glider weight of one to three pounds would be most UNhealthy and worthy of note in both Guiness AND Ripley's - GOOD EYE, girl! I guess I did have gliders on my mind (don't I always?) ;)

Invasion is imminent!

Come along quietly, and no one will get hurt - too badly.

It was just a matter of time, but the ferrets have overrun Glider Island and have their twitchy nosey little noses all over the place! Today's featured ferrets are: SuperFreak and Morrigan LeFaerret (hey, English teacher here, and I found her name most amusing). Tomorrow, all four girls go in for their annuals (HellRaiser and Queen Mab were discussing who was going to get the larger of the treats, so they wished to remain undisturbed - wait - what am I saying? Ferrets are always a little "disturbed" - by everything!

SuperFreak posing and showing her stuff:

SuperFreak, the discoverer, who just located my junk corner. My bad!

Morrigan:

Morrigan in her cleaning mode:

BML delivered?

So, ever since the SGGA, I just can't seem to get my BML made up in quantity like I am used to doing. Something is always sidetracking me, and by the time I am ready to get started, it's just so darned late to make up a six batch run; so, I have been making one batch about every other night.

Shopping has been a real hassle, too. A baby boom in Ross county? Anyway, I get so tired of running to the store only to find between one and three jars of my Gerber Chicken Baby Food; so, today, I'd had enough. There were only THREE jars on the shelf, and although I can use another brand, I like Gerber, and I need a minimum of six jars to make enough to last, and when I see a flat, I buy the whole thing to have on hand.

Today, I found a stock lady in the aisle, and I told her that I had 22 furry children who needed this stuff and would she please help me! She looked puzzled, and that's when I knew I had one!! I explained that I felt guilty of depriving Ross county babies of their food for the likes of my furry little monsters, and I half think she was about to call someone on me (oh, I love shopping, yes I do!).

Anyway, I explained that I had these adorable little exotic pets that needed this stuff, and could I please set up some kind of agreement so that I could have two flats a month ready for pick-up without too much trouble, and she said, "Of course!" and she set me right up! WOO HOO! From here on out, they will call when my chicken is in. No more waiting - no more empty trips! YES!!!!

Now, I know this isn't The Art of the Deal by Donald Trump, but I was happy that now I can get my chicken for only $.73 a jar. Usually, I pay $.89 at my local corner market, and Walmart runs me about $.79 - so I am really happy!

Kroger's - you ROCK! Check out their online store for hard to find items, international foods, or Kosher items! Gosh, I LOVE shopping this way!

The things we do for our furry kids, eh?

WOOOO! TONIGHT'S THE NIGHT! I am filling up those special ice cube trays my Sugeebaby was selling at the SGGA - and I am ONE HAPPY CAMPER!!!!

*giggles*

HEAD-ON!

My GOD! Is it just me? Am I permanently CRANKY - or is that commercial the SINGLEMOST annoying, HEAD-SPLITTING, crappy piece of product advertisement to have EVER hit the airwaves - in the history of radio, TV, alien inter-galactic microwaves, or what?

I WILL NOT... EVER... buy a product that CAUSES the SYMPTOM for which it proposes to cure! Even writing about that IDIOTIC commercial gives it more attention than it deserves.

I HATE HEAD-ON advertisements, and I would rather KEEP my headache for DAYS - WEEKS - MONTHS - OR YEEEEEEEEEAAARRS... than to EVER EVER purchase their product!!

HEAD-ON: FIRE YOUR AD DIRECTOR!!

HEAD-ON STOCKHOLDERS: You APPROVED that ad campaign? How is that working for you - knowing that you will NEVER get any of MY money?

FCC: Can't you TERMINATE that crap? Andrew Dice Clay and Howard Stern were BANNED from the airwaves... and THIS CRAP is ok?

ADELPHIA/ALL OTHER CABLE PROVIDERS: Are you THAT DESPARATE for ad dollars?

*MUTE SWITCH* I LOVE YOU!!!!!