Pets, although important family members, aren't people, and problems relating to them, although sometimes heart-breaking, can seem trivial in comparison to the tribulations faced by hoomin beans. So I thought a pet-specific "Bad News" thread might be appropriate.
Anyway, Wellesley the ferret is in a bad way. He's always been fat and cheerful, but late last year he developed a peculiarly distended belly, and was diagnosed with adrenal disease. The vet began hormonal treatment, and we hoped all would be well. Then he got flu over Christmas (he caught it from Kitty, who was severely ill and also lost an eye in a fight with a cat), and then he began to waste away and not eat. We're pretty sure he has insulinoma - an insulin-secreting tumour on the pancreas - which can't be surgically treated given his age and condition. We're currently having to force-feed him every couple of hours, and we're due to pick up some pills to alleviate his symptoms later today. But he can't be cured, and he's going to need constant supervision even if he does start eating of his own accord.