I would first like to thank everyone for their support through this trying
time.  All of you who have sent me messages and cards have made this so
much easier to bear.  I also wanted to clarify on the vaccination used that
killed my baby Belle 12/22/99.  I wanted to clarify something's with my
vet before I posted.  Fervac-D, and my vet will no longer be giving this
vaccination to ANY ferret.  My vet is just as upset as I am about Belle's
death.  He is also looking into using the Galaxy-D for ferrets.  He never
used Galaxy-D because it is not FDA approved for ferrets.  My vet is
working with my local ferret shelter and is taking several steps so that
Belle has not died in vain.  Some of the action that is being taking is
contacting the company that makes Fervac-D and requested several studies,
as well as requesting a test to see if the shot is even necessary, also
contacted the FDA.  Unfortunately they are only looking at deaths and
apparently their have only been 4 reported deaths as a direct result of
Fervac-D.  I suggested to my vet that they expand their numbers to include
near death reactions.  He has talked to several vets and they still feel
that Fervac-D is their primary choice for ferret distemper prevention.  I
disagree and I feel this vaccination is not safe.  I am bias of course
because my baby died from this last week but all the same I will no longer
be in the same room with Fervac-D and building if I can help it.
 
Tigger is adjusting without his lifelong buddy.  Shocking to me he is
bonding with our Shar-pei, Kylo.  It seems each day that goes buy their
play time gets longer and Tigger gets braver.  Tigger was laying on his
back last night wrapping his paws around Kylo's legs biting him and laying
next to Kylo wherever he was.  Tigger even went after Kylo's tail when they
were laying next to each other.  I have been getting up early to play with
Tigger and I am going to have to get up earlier because he still wants to
play when I have to go to work.  Tigger has also been doing that open mouth
thing to Kylo's face.  It's a play thing and he and Belle use to do it to
each other when they played all the time, but I am concerned for Kylo's
eye's and thin skin.  Kylo does not exactly know what is going on but he is
going along with it.  Kylo was a 8 weeks when we got him and Belle taught
him the first week who was boss of the house so Kylo is very gentle with
Tigger but like my mother said it only takes one second for Kylo to pick up
Tigger and break his back.  So I am very glad that they are getting along
but also very concerned.
 
>Samantha, Cleveland & Phoebe
>Subject: Dooks??? Fruit ok?
 
Like anything for our fuzzies too much of anything except love and playtime
is too much.  In my experience a bite or two of fruit is ok.  We do have to
be very careful because fruit does have natural sugar and this can cause
some ferrets to have unbalanced sugar levels and they can experience a
variety of different type of seizures.  Belle was a raisin freak and I was
giving her too many raisins and she started having seizures which was ok
after I knew what the symptoms were.  Looking dazed & confused, walking
sideways, lethargic were her warning symptoms; then she would pass out and
off to the ER and about 45 minutes later like nothing ever happened.  I
would look for the warning symptoms and give her Kyro syrup or plain
pumpkin out of the can.  Just a little, I think the vet said a teaspoon
but can't be sure.  When giving her the syrup or pumpkin she never passed
out again.
 
I want to wish all of our fuzzies and their humans a healthy and Happy New
Year!
 
Anna, Tigger and Kylo (Shar-pei ferret want-a-be)
[Posted in FML issue 2914]