I have an adoptee who took her ferrets in for rabies shots yesterday.
These ferrets had been seen by my vet 2-3 months ago, were examined, had
their distemper vaccines and were given a clean bill of health before
adoption.  I do not routinely do rabies shots, unless the ferrets will be
going out in public or they are going to a county that requires them.
 
She does want to take them out in public, so she decided on the shots.
Her supposedly ferret-knowledgeable vet, without discussing it with her,
treated the ferrets with Strongid, saying "and I went ahead and wormed
them".  They want the ferrest back in 2 weeks for another does.
 
Next, they insist on a chlorexidine shampoo and tell her they should be
bathed at least every 2 weeks - telling her that the little spot that she
has described on one's butt, which is no longer visible, was because of
not bathing them.  (Huh???  I feel like that confused duck in the Afflac
commercial with Yogie Berra where nothing he says makes any sense).
 
And lastly, she examines a crook in the tail on one, this is about the
last inch of his tail that was previously said by 2 vets, to be an old
break, not bothering him and no need to do anything with it.  This vet
says it's a "tail fault" and it's where the ligaments and nerves are
pinched and stretched, and it's extremely painful.  Once again, Huh???
She says it needs to be amputated.
 
This clinkic is know in the Louisville area for working with quite a few
ferrets - but this experience left me completely questioning their
sanity.  My adoptee does have several dogs, cats of her own, does some
dog/cat rescue, has run an Arabian Horse rescue and currently has 6
horses.  She has used this vet quite a bit for her dogs & cats with no
complaints.
 
What do you think?
 
Jerri Carel
The Ferret Haven
Louisville, KY
[Posted in FML issue 4290]