Hi Everyone,
First off I want to apologize for not sending this sooner, I caught an
acute case of bronchitis and its given me a really bad time for what seems
like forever.
 
That said, I wish to thank everyone that replied to my posting about the
distended (sp?) anus on the baby ferret (what to do?  what causes it?
cure?  etc...) I received about 25 responses and all of them said basically
the same thing except for one.  Everyone said to basically increase soft
food, water intake, and reduce the hard kibble as he was put on it too
quickly.  And then to watch him very closely as he may need emergency
surgery.  Luckily that's was all that was needed and it quickly went away
(Thank God !!).
 
(Personal to the one person that emailed me just the opposite info; that he
needed more hard kibble and less soft food, you may need to re - evaluate
your info in case you have this problem arise.  This could be fatal to the
little one)
 
About the same time I noticed a baby albino at the Petco in west
Huntsville, Alabama that was in much worse shape (same thing, distended
anus big time, very large, bloody in spots).  Luckily the regional Petco
person was there at the time (the one over the manager) Fletcher Smith.  I
got his attention and showed him the ferret and he told one of the
employee's him in the back and get it to the vet tomorrow.  Well we kept
checking (we first saw the little fellow the Tuesday before the start of
labor day weekend).  Wednesday I called and they said he had been taken to
the vet (per one employee).  Thursday I called and talked to an employee I
knew and was told he hadn't been taken to the vet yet, that he was still in
the back.  Friday (the start of labor day weekend) we arrived about 3 PM
and the poor little fellow still hadn't been taken to the vet but they said
he was going that day in just a few min.
 
By this time my wife was so upset I asked them " how bout just sell him to
us at half price, we will get him to a vet and take care of all the cost,
your "problem" will be gone and off your hands".  We were then told it was
illegal to sell a sick animal.  So that didn't work out either.  We went
home and got to thinking about it (hmmmm.... 3 pm on a Friday.... long
weekend......hmmm) so I called back and talked to a second employee I know
in the store and was told, "No, no one's come to take him and doesn't look
like anyone is going to today either..." I was very disappointed.  By this
time it was like 5 PM Friday afternoon and the little fellow had been
suffering terribly since the Tuesday before, and probably longer.  They
said they had just got this "shipment" of ferrets in.  Well to make a
looooooooong story short, I went by Tuesday after labor day and was told
this time he was at the vet (if he was he was probably just taken that
morning <sigh>) and was ready to come back.  It was Thursday after labor
day before we saw him again (Wed he was still "at the vet" , my wife made
me go check again).  Well we went by on Thursday and low and behold there
the little fellow finally was and about two weeks lighter (weightwise) than
he should have been.  By now you probably already know the rest of the
story, The little one is here beside me now eating red licorice (sp?) His
name is Oz ( I got to stop taking my wife to Petco - LOL) I will say this
about the store, after all that mess they did sell him to us at a reduced
price (probably to get rid of us).  But I still wonder, how long or would
he have even been taken to the vet at all if we hadn't voiced up about his
condition and checked on him that often to see?
 
Once again, thanks to all that replied....
Dooks to all :-))
 
Weezzer & Majyk
& the (Now) gang of Five (Peppin, Sheeba, Grendel, Widget, and Oz)
[Posted in FML issue 3177]