>1. I realize there are sometimes unusual circumstances where an arrival
>would not need to go through a quarantine period, but in general, if a
>shelter is maintaining the recommended quarantine time for new arrivals
>(1-2 weeks) how can they let someone take a ferret home before that
>quarantine period is finished?
 
They can't.  That was sinple :-)
 
>2. How can a ferret be evaluated for its response to other ferrets until
>after it is out of quarantine?  This means keeping the ferret at least a
>bit longer than the minimum quarantine time.
 
Right again :-)  Generally we expect a ferret to realistically be with us
for about a month before it is available for adoption.  Of course there
are exceptions, but those a very, very few and far between.
 
>3. Any ferret with an unknown vaccine history should be given the
>recommended series of 2 distemper vaccines, which means having the ferrets
>for at least 3 weeks, unless making special arrangements with the new
>owners to see that the second vaccine is given in the appropriate time
>span.
 
Very true.  And our experience is that 80-90% of turn-ins and rescues
aren't vaccinated, or up to date.  Most require at least one, if not two
treatments for mites as well.
 
>4. Are shelters that are testing for ADV requiring that those that adopt
>from them have all their ferrets tested for ADV before they can bring
>their ferrets to the shelter to find a new companion?  If not, how are
>they dealing with that unknown source of contamination?
 
No.  But we have a separate area for "visitors" which is treated with
Synphenol 3 after they leave.  We generally won't let a persons ferret meet
one of ours until the person has decided that this is the ferret they plan
on going home with.  If for some reason this changed, ours would go into
quarantine pending results of testing, and we are in the process of
developing a waiver that people will have to sign before seeing a ferret,
which will inlcude this type of issue.  In all honesty, most of the
adoptions we've had lately have been to first time owners, so this has
been a moot point.  (We use separate entrances, we don't allow entrance
through the ferret room from the outside.)
 
I'd be interested in hearing what others are doing.
 
Anne
Fuzztek Central
[Posted in FML issue 3027]