Emily, if it is not panting but a "heh, heh, heh" noise when very active
and happy then that is laughter.  A lot of ferrets do that.
 
Training: Bob is entirely right about people NEEDING to have training by
their vet or vet techs assigned by the vet on how to do some procedures.
As he said, giving fluids is one of those things.  So is "syringe"
feeding because of the very real risk of aspiration pneumonia if it is
done wrong.  BTW, we have found that there are other things which give
been control on that score (Hence, "syringe" with quotes...) with our own
favorite being this:
 
http://www.apothecaryproducts.com/catalogue/product.asp?
CatID=1&SubCatID=14&ProdID=67032
 
due to EXCELLENT control, easy fill, easy clean, etc.  Second best for
control that we have found in almost 22 years with ferrets has been a
small squeeze bottle on one type with the tip cut to be wider.  Honeslty,
though, it is a LOT better to take one's time, sing and talk to the
ferret, stay calm (or the ferret will stop eating) and just finger or
spoon feed heated foods.  There is a GREAT write-up by a ferret vet on
feeding sick ferrets at:
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
 
Anyway, the maxim: "When in doubt have a vet check it out" also includes
procedure techniques: sub-cutaneous fluids, feeding when a ferret won't
eat, etc.
 
Mystery things: Notice that the mystery illness seen in the ferret at
Ferret Haven "By-the-Sea" has been a different mystery illness (and the
Ferret Haven one might not be a mystery anymore given what worked) than
the one under investigation which is a sepsis problem (and sometimes a
cellulitis one) with high spiking fevers.  (BTW, The last "mystery
Illness" was a mutation of coccidia which killed a number of ferrets and
that was able to be stopped in its tracts with that mutation seeming to
be gone through careful follow-through.) The goal, of course, is always
to take the mystery out and use what is learned to have solutions.
 
I have to also admit to liking the new and very funny "Along Came Polly"
ad with the real ferret as "Best Ferret in a Drama" and the mock-up
ferret on wheels as "Best Ferret in a Comedy".  Whoever put that
commercial together did good work!
[Posted in FML issue 4408]