With two deaths in the same night a necropsy with pathology and
toxicology become even more important than usual (and they ARE important
when cause of death isn't known), even though one death was expected.
 
There are things in both the FML and FHL Archives on necropsies,
including
http://listserv.cuny.edu/Scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0011&
L=ferret-search&P=R30465
http://listserv.cuny.edu/Scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0010&
L=ferret-search&P=R16646
http://listserv.cuny.edu/Scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0010&
L=ferret-search&P=R13990
and more in the FML Archives, and in
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org .
 
In this case it really would also make sense to check for things like gas
leaks, CO levels in your home, etc.  Through the years there have been
several cases of each where the first sign was unexpectedly dead ferrets
leading to the cause being found before any people died.  If you thought
he was alive he may have been rather more pink that he should have in
death, another reason to check carbon monoxide levels.  The detectors
are cheap.
 
-----
 
>I have to put in my two cent's worth here and ask what the hubbub was
>all about.  Yes, Hermoine *SAID* they were ferrets, they *had* a slight
>resemblance
 
We saw it today and I have to agree with Sue that on viewing it I can
only conclude that this worry has been a tempest in the teapot.  No
blood.  No gore, No faces.  No resemblance to ferrets except general size
and that they have fur (but very fake fur which wasn't even patterned
right).  Without it being said that they were ferrets a person would
never guess what the heck they were supposed to be.  The computer
generated bats the hippogriff later ate were much more recognizable.  I
think they were trying to stay true to the book which respects wildness
in the tale of Buckbeak (where the food choice emphasizes that it was
Malfroy who caused the attack, not Buckbeak) while making the animals
not seem like ferrets.  The original poster did so for an excellent
reason, so that people who have little or extremely sensitive children
would know to avoid it.  Beyond that, though...
 
>My main concern is that the bedding be well made and also NOT contain
>sherpa-type fleece.
>
>My boys have had trouble with hairballs which the vet felt were created
>by their eating kibble that they had carried to beds and hammies made
>with sherpa, fuzzy, three-dimensional fleece.
 
Fake "sheep's fleece" and fake fur have done this in our family, too,
and I had to sew sheeting over the problem materials to avoid further
surgeries.  I can also tell you that the beds last longer without exposed
fake "sheep's fleece" and they also clean more easily.
 
>And PLEASE do not say you shouldn't have ferrets if you can't afford
>them.  None of us know what the future brings.  We do our best from day
>to day.  I used to have a great job as a professional librarian, but now
>I'm on disability.
 
I doubt that pretty much anyone has problems with people who are doing
what they can to make sure their existing family gets medical care and
day to day needs met.  The people who ADD more animals than they can care
for are a whole other can of worms because that can spiral into being an
animal hoarder or at times already is hoarding.  That is NOT a comment
about anyone in particular, but this is a general topic set which has a
lot of subsets that shouldn't be forgotten, so it pays for people to
realize it as one with shades of gray and I figured this juxtaposition
might do that.
[Posted in FML issue 4550]