>In the case of Utah there is a window of opportunity - I'd bombard the
>Judge of the case.  The animal control people are lowly employees.  The
>Judge can set a sentance such that the woman is no longer legally able to
>have animals for a specific number of years.  Or no more than a certain
>number of animals.
 
One thing that often can help prevent an abuser from having future animals
is to show intent to do the same thing again.  One of the primary people
involved in the rescue operation has already seen to it that the Animal
Control people there know about two ads so that those possibly can be
used as evidence of intent to commit the crime again (and certainly having
the animals housed in a residential area different than her own can be
shown to possibly be due to not wanting to be found), but if anyone finds
any OTHER ads the abuser placed, or has had such a request from this
individual, please, make those public so that they can be passed along to
the authorities to help prevent it just happening all over again.
 
  ---------
 
>Anybody have any great hints for pre and post surgery?  The vet said no
>food past midnight but water the whole time.  He also said let him eat
>what he likes post surgery and that he'll self regulate his activity level
>post surgery.  My previous experience with the wonder weinies is that they
>don't self regulate anything in their little worlds.  Any words of wisdom
>from the Wise Ones out there?
 
Have a number of tips, and am sure that others have more!  If you have
back issues of "Modern Ferret" around read the article Alicia wrote on the
topic, or check Mary and Eric's website at http://www.modernferret.com to
learn about getting back issues.  We have had some who did NOT regulate
their activity level so we've found that removing temptation helps.  We
have nothing around that they can climb on for at least the first 5 days.
To prevent infection at first do NOT use regular litter; instead use
something cleaner like newspaper or Yesterday's News.  Watch the incision
a few times each day in case of infection.  Some rare ones remove their
stitches or remove stitches from others; for that reason we have only
supervised interactions till the incision is well closed.  If a ferret
does open stitches there are a number of things the vet can do with the
most common being to clean and glue (and maybe also redo the outer
stitches).  Hydration is essential and so is eating.  Giving an easily
digested food.  Baby foods are often used (Our's have a preference for
lamb.) and there is a fine piece of feeding the recovering ferret at
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/babyfood.html is very helpful, as can be
singing to the ferret (NOT joking), or talking soothingly to the ferret
during feeding.  If hydration is difficult then the vet may want to sub-cu
or restart the IV for a little while to save the ferret and maintain
healthy kidneys.  If both adrenals come out COMPLETELY (They usually do
not come out that cleanly so usually a bit is left from the R one.) then
the ferret will need to have medications: Prednisone and Florinef, or
Prednisone and Percorten (if recalling the name right) for the rest of
life.  I am sure that others will jump in with further useful advice.
Oh, and be careful to NOT give "extras" until you know that they aren't
counter-indicated for the ferret or don't interfere with essential meds,
as for example not giving Echinacea with Prednisone, or not giving
licorice root with heart disease or large wounds (due to effect on blood
pressure), or not giving a lot of vitamin C with anemia.  That includes
the more "standard" meds: do not give OTCs, including not giving OTC pain
meds which can be VERY dangerous or even fatal -- know of someone who
bled-out a ferret post-op that way and killed it with either aspirin or
something else having an anti-coagulant effect, and of several who
destroyed ferret's livers with acetyminephrin (Sp?).  If there is obvious
unusual pain contact your vet.  I am NOT a vet: just someone will long
(19 and 1/2 years) ferret background.
[Posted in FML issue 3561]