>From:    Sara Gennusa <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Heat Related Illnesses in Ferrets
>
>My main concern about brining them down, besides the flight, is
>that St. Thomas' temp range goes into the mid 80's during the day,
>sometimes warmer, and only drops into the 70's at night, year round.
>Maybe you Florida people would be best able to help me out.  Are they
>going to be ok in those temperatures?
 
It is said that ferrets don't do well over 80 degrees, but they're really
pretty tough little critters.  We did a rescue at a ferret breeding
operation in Arcadia, Florida, which is in the South Central part of the
state.  It gets a bit hotter in the center of the state than on the coast
and it is regularly in the 90's for probably 6 months of the year.
 
These ferrets were in a shed.  Really just a roof with no walls.  You
can see a photo of it here: http://www.miamiferret.org/safe.htm - So
they were fully exposed to florida's heat, though not the sun.  I'm
sure they were not comfortable, but they survived it just fine.  Why?
Probably because it was what they lived and were raised in.  So
acclimation has a lot to do with it too.
 
I'm in Miami and our home's AC is set at 79 during the daytime hours
while we're at work.  That means it doesn't come on until it hits 80 and
it goes off at 78.  When I come home for lunch, the house feels fine to
me and the ferrets have never appeared uncomfortable in any way.  When
Hurricane Andrew hit us in 1992, we were without power for a couple
weeks.  Sidney, our only ferret at the time, did okay in the 90+ heat of
that August.  I'm sure he wasn't all that comfortable, and neither were
we, but he was in no distress.
 
I get calls some times from people down here that find ferrets wandering
in their back yard in the dead of summer.  They seem to survive it okay,
but the ferret is smart enough not to sit out in the blazing mid-day sun
which probably would cause them to have a heat stroke.
 
I'm not saying that high temperatures are not a concern, they are, just
that it's not like the minute it goes over 80 your ferret is going to
have a heat stroke.  Be aware of the temps, keep some 2 liter bottles of
water frozen solid (wrap in a towel and put in the cage with your ferret)
stored in your freezer for emergencies, don't put their living quarters
anywhere that the sun can shine directly on them and they have no means
to escape it, and they'll probably do just fine.
 
For the ferrets,
Mike
 
* Michael Janke, [log in to unmask]
* South Florida Ferret Help Line, 305-385-6750
*
* Website:  http://www.miamiferret.org
* Adrenal/Insulinoma web site: http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc
*
* Ferret Health List: http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
[Posted in FML issue 4610]