Jeremy 8/2002-7/26/2006

We took Jeremy in for his adrenalectomy on Wednesday. The surgery went off without a hitch, he was recovering nicely, and we were planning to bring him home yesterday. Then, during the wee hours of Thursday morning, he began seizing, and he passed away a short while later. We are in shock, and so is our vet. Adrenalectomy is major surgery, but it is also a very common procedure, and most young ferrets do very well and go on to live long and healthy lives afterwards. Our vet is going to do an autopsy in an attempt to find some answers. His thinking is that Jeremy probably threw a clot, but whatever he finds, I will update to let everyone know.

Jeremy came into our lives as a 6-week-old kit back in 2002. He came into a local pet store with his sister, Snowdrop. They were both badly infected with Giardia, which causes life-threatening GI problems in baby ferrets. The pet store owner asked if we could care for them. We took them in and began intensive nursing care. Snowdrop was too sick and too small to make it, but Jeremy improved very quickly, and by the time he was well, he was a member of our family, so there he stayed. He was a cream-puff, a very gentle soul who always followed us around and wanted to be in on any and every activity. He and Bobo were the ones who would show up when a then baby Liam was crying, and they were also the two who commandeered all receiving blankets as their own personal bedding. Jeremy was Liam's favorite ferret, which makes this all the harder. (By the way, Liam took the picture above. The lack of focus has less to do with the skill of the photographer than it does with the fact that Jeremy had to have his.nose.in.everything.)

I am shocked and angry and sad. I'm also just plain exhausted and touchy about everything due to reasons I will blog about later, but Jeremy's death is a huge shock no matter what else is going on. I wish I knew what happened, but mostly I just want Jeremy back. He was too young and too healthy for this to happen. Today, I am angry at the fates and the heavens.

We miss you, Jeremy. We wish you happy travels across the Rainbow Bridge. And when you cross, find Beau and do the Weasel War Dance and have fun. The Ferretone's on us.

Updated 7/31/2006:

I really love all of you for a the kind thoughts that have come our way since Jeremy passed away last week. It's been a tough few days, and we appreciate all the concern everyone has shown.

Our vet called this afternoon with the results of Jeremy's autopsy. It turns out the sometime, probably in the last year or so, Jeremy suffered a small heart attack, and a small section of his left ventricle was damaged. It was small enough area that it didn't show up during his cardiac work-up. However it was big enough that the small clot he threw after surgery proved fatal. None of this makes me feel any better about his death, but at least we have a concrete answer, and we also know that surgery or not, his days were numbered. He was a terrific ferret, and we were lucky to have him bless our lives.