RIP Hero, our gentle sweet girl

Hero was our first ferret, and also our oldest and dearest. She was gentle, sweet, and cuddly - loved to be held and would actually nap with us. She left this world on the 17th of December - I woke up in the middle of the night, about 4am, and felt like I should go check on the ferrets. I'm glad I did - she was curled up in the corner of their cage, barely moving. Just hours prior, at about 9pm, she was out for their evening playtime, like nothing was wrong. I immediately rushed her to our emergency vet, who initially suspected low blood sugar, but when they got a sample, her blood sugar was fine. Unfortunately, her kidney levels were not. Her readings indicated that she was in kidney failure. Our vet, who has ferrets of her own, actually lost her ferret to kidney failure about 2 months ago, and she explained to me sadly that ferrets almost never respond well to treatment, and where Hero was almost 6 years old, her prognosis was grim. I spent about an hour with her in the exam room saying goodbye, and then gave them permission to euthanize her. I stayed with her until the end, and I hope that she knows that I would have done anything to keep her with us, if she could be healthy again.
Every time someone asked to meet one of our ferrets, if they had never met a ferret before, or said "I hear ferrets bite" - we would hand them Hero, and she would change their mind in an instant.
Thank you, Hero, for the years you spent making us happy. We miss you.


Here are some pictures of her - please say a little prayer for Hero if you get a chance.

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...s/IMG_9110.jpg

^ she is on top in that one

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...ts12-1-095.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6.../DSC_5819a.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...s/IMG_3105.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...s/IMG_9783.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...s/DSC_0130.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...s/dsc_2868.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...s/DSC_6020.jpg

Aw, I am so sorry.

Hero, you lived a good life and taught many people, including your mom, how wonderful ferrets can be. And I can see from the photos you were really well loved and cared for. I know you gave back loads of lovin' in return. Now you are healthy and young again and playing free at the Bridge! What a happy image I have in my mind of you scooting about with all the other wonderful pets up there! See if maybe you can find a moment to slow down and let your mom know you are okay.

{{Hugs}} to you, it is so hard when our pets leave us suddenly like this. There is just no time to prepare.

I am so sorry for your loss. It was a difficult December for you. HUGS to you.
RIP Hero.

I am so very sorry for your loss.

Hero, I have 4 RB ferret boys that would surely love to spend time with you. Please look them up. They're a really fun bunch!

Thank you guys for your really sweet posts - Queen of Poop, I'm sure Hero will seek out your RB ferret boys and do the "weasel war dance" with them all day!

Taz, it was a really rough December. We had sort of a rough November, too - I'll post about little Gabe later. I hope though, that our string of bad luck is over and things are certainly looking up here.

Freedom, thanks so much for your reply, you're so nice ((hugs)) It does stink when there is no time to prepare, but at the same time, I'm glad that it happened quickly - she didn't suffer for long and went quietly.

Edit - After more thought, I realized that Gabe passed in December too, on the 8th. It really HAS been a bad month :( I'm making a thread about him in the dog memorial forum right now, for those who care to read it in a bit.

I am so sorry to hear about the passing of Hero. Her face has to be one of the sweetest ones I've seen on ferrets. She just melts your heart.

Hero, you worked your magic down here, letting people know how special ferrets are and and were more likely the reason so many others who met you often went out and got themselves a ferrett as well!

Play hard at the Rainbow bridge, and look for my friend Richard's ferret, Cheops, who passed away about 10years ago. He was so loved by all who knew him. His dog buddy, Tsunami, should be up there with him as well.. so you look for a big Akita and the wily ferret playing together, and they'll be good friends with you.

Sleep softly Hero. You will be missed on earth, buy you will see your owner again across the bridge, one fine day.

Hero was just darling. I'm so sorry for your loss. What a gentle creature she sounds like. :(