>I have contacted Marshall Ferret Products and they assure me they have not
>done anything different with the ingredients or way they make or package
>their food.  They have even asked me to send samples of both foods to see
>if they can figure out what the problem is.
 
I am glad to read that.  This makes three food companies producing ferret
foods that I know have tried to find what the problems were when customers
complained, and one which investigated problems when their own ferrets
had health difficulties due to a food problem.  The four are: Totally
Ferret, Eight in One, Marshall Food, and Path Valley.  Since EVERY food
manufacturer is going to have problems now and then the ones which worry
me are those that do NOT check, and instead decide to do a cover-up.
 
>We have a 3 year old male ferret.  Is there any way that anthrax could be
>transmissible to the ferret?  I am concerned that he may come into contact
>with dh's clothing which may contain the anthrax.
 
As was noted in a Bruce Williams FHL cross-post just recently, ferrets
CAN get anthrax.  Use the instructions on getting recent list numbers:
<[log in to unmask]> using "SEND FERRET nnnn" to get backissues; for
less recent: http://listserv.cuny.edu/archives/ferret-search.html.
 
As per news reports: like other mammals, including humans, the tests can
be thrown off if antibiotics were being taken already, but if there is an
exposure then a run of certain antibiotics (Multiple ones besides Cipro
work, but they have to be specific ones.) USED BEFORE SYMPTOMS DEVELOP is
called for.  Anthrax is able to affect how noticeably the body reacts to
it early on so even though it takes a lot spores to cause an infection
when one takes off it needs treatment before it has multiplied too much
within the host, that is why the antiobiotics MUST be taken if there is an
exposure even without symptoms and why waiting for symptoms before taking
antibiotics (which it sounds like at least one of the humans who died may
have done) does not makes sense because then extensive supportive care is
needed and the chances of succumbing are high.  By the time symptoms show
the anthrax has multiplied to a huge level within the body, too huge for
it to any longer hide the signs of its presence, and often too huge to
treat.  (BTW, anthrax is naturally present in the soil in the U.S. though
not at all common; the SW, especially, tends to have sporadic cases
annually for that reason according to a newspaper article on it.)
 
I think that you should ask your vet about starting a run of antibiotics
and describe the exposure in more detail so that the vet will be better
able to assess if that makes sense.
 
>Even under veterinarian controlled conditions, and with all the right
>medications, eliminating heartworms in ferrets is extremely risky.  Dr.
>Kemmerer (Who is in Florida and is probably one of the recognized experts
>in heartworms in ferrets) reported in one her articles only a 50% success
>rate in the treatment of heartworms in 40 ferrets.
 
DO listen to Mike.  He knows what he's talking about.  We're not in a
heartworm area so I forgot about them as a possibility when there is
coughing.
 
[Moderator's note: Dr. Williams is a "regular" at the Ferret Health List:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ferret-Health-list                BIG]
 
Thanks, Bill!
 
>The problem is when he escapes his cage while I am work.
 
Use cage clips!  Get the spring types like are on leashes: cost less
than $1.
[Posted in FML issue 3583]