Gagging and vomiting: ferrets do both.  This one needs to get to the
vet, though.  There can be bad enough furballs to require surgery, and
persistent coughing can be indicative of things like cardiomyopathy or a
lung infection (so chest x-rays make sense since in ferrets this often
can not be heard even if bad).  Losing a particularly bad furball might
cause enough irritation to require Carafate and maybe antibiotics.
 
Shelley, there was a lot of false stuff out there calling some things
unsafe which are safe.  Here is the flea and tick info you want:
http://www.smartgroups.com/vault/ferrethealth/common_parasites.txt
 
Some quotes from that:
 
>If fleas are the only problem then you might want to use
>Frontline or Advantage...
>Yes, Revolution will kill and treat ear mites, PREVENT heartworms,
>and treat ticks too.  Revolution does not actually kill heartworms.
>Hope that helps,
>Jerry Murray, DVM
 
>Sometimes Advantage, Frontline, or Revolution can cause temporary hair
>loss where they are applied, but if the hair loss is not from the fleas
>or the flea product then adrenal gland disease is likely.
>
>Hope that helps,
>Jerry Murray, DVM
 
The post which can also be found at
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG3087
id just one of several which tackled the FALSE rumor of one of these
approaches being unsafe, and also weighs aspects of these treatment
options.
 
Bill wrote:
>[Moderator's note: I think it's time to close the topic since it's no
>longer "productive."  There have been some very good posts but now it's
>coming down to an argument of faith, which won't have a resolution.
>Any last comments or info about Animal Communication for now?  BIG]
 
Nope, but I have one on your decision: THANK YOU!  Thank you so much!
Thank you so very, very much!  (Okay, faith discussions and testimonials
feel uncomfortably imposing to me, like when we used to have a lot of
missionary visits from ones who figured that they had life's answers...
Faith is one thing that I tend to think "Live and let live" on, but
prefer that it be done privately.)
[Posted in FML issue 4107]