Some of you may know about Vivi (Vivant…it means “to live” in Latin), but some probably don’t. A few weeks ago, I got a call to pick up a stray ferret that had wandered up onto a porch where some workmen were doing repairs. They said she was very friendly and walked right up to them. They were able to put the ferret into a carrier with some food and water. 
When I picked her up, I was horrified to see an emaciated little sable female curled up in the carrier. I could feel every bone on her back and her nose was as white as a sheet of paper. She had either been severely neglected or had been lost outside for a while. She had dark purple bruising on her stomach. If your ferret ever looks like this (and they haven’t just had surgery), get them to the vet asap! This is bad. She must have had some kind of trauma to her belly (kicked? stepped on? hit by a car?) and had internal bleeding.
Her gums and ears were white, too. We really didn’t think she’d survive long enough to get to the vet, but she did. And not only did she survive, but she has apparently fully recovered and looks great now. I knew we had to try to save her when she literally dove into the bowl of chicken gravy we serve. She ate and ate and ate until her little belly was bulging. A ferret who dives into the food bowl is usually not planning on leaving this world anytime soon.
The vet thought she would die, but over the days, she got more and more pink and the bruising faded away. Now she is much fatter, with soft and fluffy fur. Her ADV test is negative, she is very sweet, doesn’t bite, and gets along with other ferrets. Her blood work showed perhaps something still going on, but we are hopeful she will be declared completely healthy soon.
If you would like to make a donation to help pay for Vivi’s ongoing vet bill, Vivi and I would appreciate it.
