>Your gift toward improving ferret medical options today may save your
>ferret tomorrow.  After all, the gifts of the past have already saved so
>very, very many.
 
This has to be the gem of the month.
 
>Now, there are ferrets which get a year or more (like 2 years 8 months
>more for Carla's little Dancing Bear) with treatments for cardiomyopathy,
 
Education is the key here.  I have 2 other ferrets that have been on heart
meds for 2 years 4 months.  I learned what the early signs of heart disease
are and started the meds immediately.  My vet, Dr. Mark Burgess, modifies
the drugs depending upon medical observations and my reports on how they
are doing in general.  In addition, he attends various conferences and also
uses this knowledge to vary treatment.
 
Buy a copy of "Ferrets, Rabits, and Rodents" by Hillyer and Quesenberry and
read it in your spare time.  If you have to visit an emergency vet (or your
own vet if they aren't ferret savvy yet), take the book with you.  When I
was at the emergency vet a couple weeks ago, the vet was very, very
grateful to read about the ferret's condition prior to making a
recommendation.  It is the best $42.00 you can spend.
(http://www.amazon.com).
 
BTW, DB did not die from heart disease, adrenal disease, or insulinoma.
He was in a weakened condition and caught bacterial hepatitis.  The
antibiotics could not stop it.  FYI.  Bacterial hepatitis is not
contagious to humans (according to my vet).
 
    -Carla
[Posted in FML issue 3173]