I was surfing around on the web, and I found a really interesting statement
on a site run by a large animal hopspital in Florida.  The article in
question is a sort of "all about ferrets" one with a vet/medical slant.
There are a few problems with the article (escaped ferrets might destroy
crops?  bahahaha!  envisioning ferrets gleefully digging up a corn field),
but the thing that made me sit up in my seat was the following:
 
>"Ferrets do not have any identifiable blood types; if needed, blood from
>a dog or preferably cat can be given to a ferret that needs a blood
>transfusion."
 
Article is at http://www.petvets.com/petcare/exotics.html
 
I'm absolutely sure I'm not the only one who has done a mad scramble on
more than one occasion to bring blood donor ferrets to vets in emergency
cases.  I'd do it again, it's a wonderful thing to do!  But can ferrets
really be given cat or even dog blood in a pinch?  I'm thinking
specifically of a case where our local club pulled together to get
something like six ferrets for a critical case... A larger cat or dog
could certainly provide a much larger volume of blood than a ferret - this
could be lifesaving in cases where there simply aren't that many donor
ferrets to be found on short notice.  *That is, IF it's true.* I'm no vet
or scientist, but I also can't remember reading anything like this is in
any of the ferret medical texts (Fox, Pink book).
 
So, has anyone ever heard this before?  Or better yet, has anyone's ferret
ever received anything besides ferret blood for a transfusion?
 
Totally befuddled,
 
-Pam S.
[Posted in FML issue 2979]