|
The Great Dr. Charlie Weiss |
On March 28, 2000, my kids and I spent the day with Dr. Weiss in Ijamsville, MD. I dropped my trailer at an old vacant gas station a couple of miles away and then drove my tractor (the proper name for the front part of a semi-truck) to the animal hospital.
Dr. Weiss was scheduled to perform surgery on George for adrenal disease. He was also going to remove two mass cell tumors on the right rear foot of Buddy. These tumors had grown to the point of causing Buddy some discomfort, so we opted to have them removed.
I also asked Dr. Weiss to do a CBC (blood test) on Doris, Buddy, George, and Billy. The following are some pictures of Dr. Weiss examining my kids.
 |
 |
Dr. Weiss and Billy
|
 |
 |
Dr. Weiss and Buddy
|
 |
Dr. Weiss and Doris
|
|
 |
Dr. Weiss and Buddy
|
|
After the examinations, I took my kids back out to the truck to wait for an hour. Dr. Weiss had a couple of other appointments before he started the surgery portion of his day. When I put the kids down in the truck, the first thing they all did was pile around, and in, the water dish. To their dismay, they found it empty. Since a couple of them were going to have surgery, I had started them all fasting a few hours back. Instead of just making Buddy and George, the two I knew were going to have surgery, I decided to have them all fast. I usually don't do this, but I had a strange feeling that they should all fast this time. It turned out that my feeling was correct, but that part comes a little later. Anyway, here is a picture of the kids while we were waiting for the blood draws and surgeries to start. I had to use a lot of self-control not to give them a drink, but I just kept reminding them that it was really for their own good.
 |
"Daddy, where is the water?"
|
When the appointed time arrived, I put the kids back into the carrier and off we went, back into the waiting room.
Dr. Weiss had a surgery scheduled before ours, so we all sat and played in the waiting room. Suddenly one of the Vet Techs came rushing into the room. She started to explain that the ferret that was being operated on was losing too much blood and was dying. She started to ask if they could use one of my kids for a donor. I stopped her in mid sentence and just asked who Dr. Weiss wanted. The Tech replied, "The biggest ferret that is not having surgery." I quickly handed her Billy, and off they went in a rush to the operating room.
About 3 or 4 minutes later she came rushing back in to ask if it was ok to shave both sides of Billy's neck so they could draw blood from both sides. I was kind of bewildered why they were asking me that question. I told her that Dr. Weiss had my permission to do ANYTHING he felt was needed to save the other ferrets life.
Everything was quiet again for a couple of minutes and then out came the Tech again. She said they needed another one. Since Doris was the only other one that was not scheduled for surgery, I quickly handed her to the Tech. I mentioned to the Tech that if they needed to, they could use Buddy as a donor and we would just schedule to have Buddy's surgery for another day. She said that she would tell Dr. Weiss and off she went with Doris.
This time it was about 15 minutes later when the Tech brought out a groggy Billy to me. He was still trying to wake up after the anesthesia. He was followed a few minutes later by a still sleeping Doris. It was then that the news came. The blood transfusions had been successful! Billy and Doris saved a ferret's life! They were Hero's!
Dr. Weiss later told me what Sasha's surgery entailed. The following is a quote from Dr. Weiss. ". . . that the tumor was a very large right adrenal tumor which involved the liver, vena cava and
had to be dissected free from the aorta. We ligated the vena cava, and
removed a lobe of affected liver." Sasha went home with her mom and dad the day after the surgery.
The feeling that I had that all of my kids should fast, was in fact correct. I believe God inspired me to fast all of the kids. Even though Doris and Billy were not going to have surgery, they did end up receiving anesthesia when they donated blood. Because they had been fasting, Dr. Weiss didn't have to worry about Doris or Billy having any ill effects that could result from using anesthesia on a ferret that had not been fasting.
I later asked Dr. Weiss why the Tech had come out to ask me if it was ok to shave Billy's neck on both sides. Dr. Weiss explained that some people get mad if you shave both sides. I told him that I didn't care if he shaved them bald and colored them purple if it would help save the other ferrets life! For THAT is what is truly important. He just smiled and agreed.
The following are some pictures of Sasha. She is the ferret that Doris and Billy saved. I did not get a chance to meet the parents of Sasha, but I would LOVE to meet them later. All I know about them are that they came from Virginia.
After Sasha's surgery, everyone took a short lunch break. Then it was George's turn for surgery.
This time everything went smooth. Dr. Weiss found that the left adrenal gland had a tumor on it, so he removed it. He checked the right adrenal gland and found that it was in great shape. He did find some tumors on the pancreas and so he removed 20% of the pancreas. He biopsied a lymphnode that was slightly enlarged and also took a biopsy of the colon. George is recovering nicely from his ordeal.
Buddy's surgery also went perfect. Dr. Weiss removed the tumors on Buddy's foot. Buddy is also recovering nicely.
Billy and Doris are up playing around. They suffered absolutely no ill effects from donating blood. Well, that's not completely true. You see, they are suffering from enlarged ego syndrome. :-) Since I explained to them that they are heroes, they expect their raisins to be given to them on a silver platter. I, of course, gladly comply with their wishes. I am just so proud of them that I can barely stand myself. :-)
O yea, there is one other little critter that I have to mention. There is a 6 week old goat that was running around the hospital. He love to have you scratch his back. He kept everyone laughing with his funny antics. The following is a picture of him.
I want to personally thank Dr. Weiss for everything that he has done for my kids and for countless other ferrets. I thoroughly enjoyed my day with Dr. Weiss. He is truly one of the greatest ferret vets in the World.
 |
Dr. Charlie Weiss and Jason Poole
|
Dr. Weiss is currently practicing at: Green Valley
Animal Hospital, 2910 Prices Distillery Road, Ijamsville, Maryland, (301) 831-6930.
The pictures on this site were captured using Snappy. 
Learn Spanish using Free Interactive Online Lessons at www.learnspanishtoday.com
Last Updated March 29, 2000 by Jason Poole
