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Milo & Taz
• Surrendered to the Shelter on May 12, 2012. |
Milo's Story - As of September 22, 2005:
Milo was taken to Doctor Edwards on Thursday AM for X-rays on his pinned leg. Donna and I relayed him. I got him to Donna before I had to go to work, she took him the rest of the way to Doc Edwards. Donna works up in Rochester so she dropped him off on her way to work.. Mind you this is going west to Doc then east to get to work but bless her heart she helps with the running all she can. Milo loves it because he gets to go on adventures. The results of the check up are:
The leg is healed, no need to remove the pins above the knee. The hip joint where the ball was broken off the femur has healed with no impingement. I understand the muscle has grown around the area to be a make shift hinge. Doc was pleased with his progress, gave him a clean bill of health and said he could go home. Donna is picking him up, I will go get him from Donna's house. Milo is all better! Thank you everyone for you love and support of this wonderful little guy. He is one happy little dude.
The good news first: Milo came through surgery very well. The fracture above his knee went together beautifully. He can be released tomorrow afternoon.
The bad news: When looking at the post-operative films, they discovered that he had another older break that was not visible on the first film.
It's to the same bone, only up by the head of the femur (near the hip joint). It was completely in line and had started to heal, but surgery had dislodged it. It can't be repaired by surgery. It can't be wrapped (the wrap would cover his penis and he'd wet the dressing--if he were female, there'd be a chance). It will heal crooked, and he will limp somewhat for the rest of his life.
Ah, I said, when the vet told me this. Then he did hurt himself in the first fall.
No, the vet said, the first fall was a month ago, right? This break could not possibly be that old.
In short, Milo suffered a severe injury early to mid last week and no one noticed! It's possible that the injury was on Saturday and started to heal right away, but I don't think the vet believed that. (I figure that there was granulation at the one break but none at the other is pretty convincing evidence.)
I did not accuse them of abuse, but I told them that if he suffered three severe injuries in the space of one month, regardless of the cause of those injuries, clearly he was not safe there. I did have a minor argument with the boyfriend; he seemed unable to absorb that my distress is that Milo has suffered so much and that the only way to make sure he is safe is to take him elsewhere. It took some doing to get into his head that the money I have spent is not the issue and I am not seeking its recovery. He said I shouldn't talk about the details because it upsets the kids. *Shouldn't* they be upset that Milo came to so much harm while in their care? How are they to learn that animals need care if they don't grasp that Milo was *severely injured three times in the space of one month
in their home*? The man was completely unable to grasp the concept of Milo as a *being*. He understands that the children are beings (thank goodness), but that Milo is a who and not a what is beyond him. (And they say that we folks with Asperger's lack empathy!)
I just can't figure what else I could have done. If she wants the $100 back that she spent on Milo, I'll give it to her (the boyfriend seemed to think that it was significant that she had paid that for him--more of that "Milo is an object" thinking). I was thinking about seeing if I couldn't get some ferret experts to come visit and help with ferret-proofing advice, but ... three severe injuries in one month?
Bruising that was of an age not to fit with any of those established injuries? The vet mentioned that, too. I think he was trying to tell me Milo has been abused without saying anything that could legally count as slander of his family. Whether it's pure neglect (leaving Milo to get himself hurt) or actual abuse. Milo is now safe he will be with me at this shelter until fully recovered.
October 10, 2008:
Hi Brenda!
How are you doing these days? The boys are doing well, in fact I really need to upload some of the photos of these climbing toys they got recently. They are built like cat scratching posts but are specifically for ferrets, with little holes that only they can fit through! I've been having some computer problems so I haven't been able to upload any photos as of late, they are waiting on my memory cards though.
Michelle
March 27, 2008:
Hi Brenda, so sorry about the delay in my response, I hope you aren't too worried. The kids are just fine, but I do have some big news for you.
I will be moving back to Seattle this spring, in fact I've already begun packing and it's been a whirlwind! The decision was made very quickly, mostly because my family is going through some hardships and I want to be there to support them. I will be moving into my dad's cabin in a suburb of Seattle, it's a nice town and the house is on a lot of land so the pets will be in heaven.
My mom will be flying out in the next couple of weeks to help me pack, and we would love to stop by and visit you with the boys so you can say goodbye. I don't want you to be worried about them because they will be even happier in the new place, there is lots of room for them to play.
November 28, 2007:
The boys had their vet visit today and it went really well. Dr. Edwards was very thorough and I talked with him for a long time. Both boys got their shots and were treated with Advantage, even though I haven't seen any fleas or itching lately. I purchased the Advantage separate from your payment as it most likely was picked up here from Luna, my indoor/outdoor cat. Now all the pets are treated and hopefully the cooler weather will help keep the fleas gone for good! I got Milo's records printed out so I will have them on hand in case I need to visit a 24-hour emergency center at any point when the Brockport center is closed (hopefully never!). Taz wasn't on record there for some reason, do you have his records?
They are the exact same weight, 2.70 lbs. Their winter coats have been coming in this week and they are so soft and fluffy! Taz did his first war dance here last night so I know he is feeling right at home. Sierra is getting a workout chasing them and being chased, they seem to take turns! I think it's really good for her, and it's nice that all the pets can play together in one room with me. The cats and Sierra find the ferrets to be great entertainment, although the cats pretty prefer to watch from out of reach.
November 27, 2007:
Hi! The kids are doing great, I'm relieved that they have their vet appointment tomorrow so I can get the flea situation resolved. I haven't noticed much itching and haven't seen any more fleas, but I want to get them treated regardless. I will treat the cats and Sierra tomorrow as well so they are all done at once.
I'm slowly working on ferret-proofing the rest of the house. I've got it set up so they can roam the studio and the upstairs hallway, the stairs, the downstairs hallway, and their bedroom. It's much better this way because when they just had the studio all they would do is try to dig through the Plexiglas! Milo gets pretty excited about all the space and he goes crazy when I chase him around! Taz is usually more focused on trying to find something to climb, lol. He hasn't been able to get over the gates at all, so I'm getting a couple more. I'm going to use them to block off my equipment closet and my clothes closet so they can be in the bedroom and office as well, pretty much everywhere except the kitchen. There is only one toy that Milo has any interest in, and that's a hand puppet
with jingle bells on the fingers. When I put it on my hand and wrestle him he goes wild! The other toys they don't seem to care for, but that's OK because the cats have been using them now instead.
I'm doing well, just relaxing with the pets while I'm on break. I've been working on some images so I can reprint my portfolio when I get back to school. I also have one photo shoot scheduled this week with a new model, more underwater images. Hopefully it works out!
November 23, 2007:
I was holding Milo earlier today giving him some ferretone on his belly, and I found a little black spot moving around on him! It looked like a flea, so I was very concerned. The kids have been itching, but having read that ferrets are naturally itchy I didn't give it much thought. However, now I'm thinking that my indoor/outdoor cat may have brought in some fleas with him. I will be treating Sierra and the cats with Frontline Plus, which is what I typically use for them. I will make sure the ferrets can't interact with them during treatment so that they don't ingest any of the chemicals. (Whenever my cat, Pixel, tries to crawl into the ferret cage and eat the ferret food, Taz runs up and scruffs him on the back of the neck and Pixel runs away in fear! It's hilarious)
Anyway, I want to get the flea issue resolved right away so they aren't itchy or irritated. The vet appointment is next Wednesday, do you think that is too long to wait? Should I take them in sooner?Another question I have is do you think Taz would be able to get along with a new ferret if the acclimation process is very slow and cautious? I am just wondering if he attacked the other ferrets in the rescue because he didn't know them well enough yet?
November 20, 2007:
The kids are doing well, I've moved a lot of the toys upstairs so they can alternate which ones they play with in each room. I would really like to let them roam through more of the house, I'm in the process of ferret-proofing the other rooms. I don't want them in the kitchen because I'm always having to let Sierra in and out through the back door, plus that is where all the cat food and dog food is, and the geckos, fish, etc. I ordered another baby gate to block off that area. I also don't want them in the office as there is way too much equipment so I can just keep that door closed, but everywhere else should be fine. The one concern I have is my bedroom- I have heard that ferrets like to chew on mattresses or burrow under them? Is there anything I can do to make my bed safe for
them?
November 19, 2007:
I finished ferret proofing the studio upstairs so the boys could check it out. Thanks for the tip on the mirror holders, they worked out perfectly!
I wasn't planning on introducing them to the cats and Sierra yet, but things went so well that I decided to have a supervised visit. It went perfectly! Seriously, it could not have gone better. The cats were both very curious, but they both get scared when the ferrets run up to them and then they run and hide. Taz has been biting their feet, but they don't bite back, they just run away! They like to watch them from on the windowsill where they can't be reached. They are very amused by watching the ferrets, but they keep their distance.
Sierra absolutely adores the ferrets. She is so maternal, she has raised four kittens and one puppy in the past, but I wasn't certain if she would be the same with the ferrets. As it turns out, she is great with them. She immediately started licking them and wagging her tail! Then she just sits down and watches over them, running over to check on them every couple of minutes and licking them. She seems to think they are her puppies. When they bite her she just runs of wagging her tail, she is so gentle. I am really amazed, it is so sweet how much she loves them, her tail is always wagging when they are nearby. I wish you could see it. I've been making videos, I'll have to make you a copy at some point!
I already can't imagine that I ever lived without the boys, they fit right in with the family. I am so in love. Thank you so much!
November 18, 2007:
The boys are doing really well! I slept next to the cage last night to keep them company. They haven't had a single accident outside of their litter boxes, I've been really impressed. Their poop looks brown and healthy, nothing black or tarry, so that's a relief. We've been enjoying play time in the ferret room. The funniest thing is that they keep trying to climb up the slide of the playground, and then they just slide right back down, it's hilarious! Taz has been licking my whole face, he just melts my heart. I gave them both ferretone on my fingers before going to sleep and once they woke up. So far, Taz hasn't been able to climb over the baby gate or onto the storage shelf. But don't worry, I'm not taking any chances! They are always supervised when out of the cage. Today I'm
going to pick up some more litter boxes for the upstairs and finish the ferret proofing so they can play up here later on in the week when they are adjusted.
November 17, 2007:
I just wanted to let you know that the fur kids arrived at their new home safely and everything has gone wonderfully! The boys used the litter box first thing when they got in the room, and haven't had any accidents. We had a lot of fun playing and they explored the room for a couple hours, they seemed right at home. Now they are in the cage sleeping, they definitely wore themselves out!
I'm so happy to have them here, it's a dream come true. Thanks so much for letting me adopt them.
November 16, 2007:
I'm so glad that you and Stephanie were pleased with the setup, I've been working really hard on it. It would be absolutely wonderful to bring them home sooner and do the vet visit with them, thank you so much for offering this option. Since I am on break, this is the perfect time for me to help them adjust to their new environment and gain their trust. I would love to have the opportunity to spend as much time with them as possible. I read through the adoption contract and I agree to all of the terms. You will definitely be notified of everything that goes on with the boys, and are free to come visit at any point. I know how invested you are in them and only want them to have the best, and I feel the same way. They are going to be so spoiled!
Michelle
