As some of you may know, Dr. Kemmerer Cottrell has been successfully
treating heartworm positive ferrets with ProHeart for some time now.
This has been virtually 100% successful in safely eliminating heartworms
in ferrets.  Other drug treatments are much less successful and often
result in the death of the ferret.  Dr. C is scheduled to be published
on her treatment protocol in an upcoming issue of Exotic DVM magazine so
be sure to tell your vet to watch for it.
 
Here's the problem.  ProHeart has been recalled by the FDA due to adverse
reactions in some dogs.  This has NOT been the case with ferrets, and
even though Dr. C has talked to the FDA about this, they refuse to budge,
even under the new MUMS act (Minor Use, Minor Species).  We've contacted
vets in Canada where ProHeart has NOT been recalled, but for them to ship
it across the border would present legal problems.
 
So we're looking for vets in the U.S. that may still have some ProHeart
on the shelf.  Maybe their administrative crew is not so efficient and
they haven't returned the product to Ft. Dodge under the recall.  All we
need is the name and number of a vet willing to work with Dr. C and she
will contact him or her directly.  What is needed is one bottle of
unreconstituted ProHeart and Dr. C will be paying whatever costs are
involved.
 
Any help you can provide in this endevor will most certainly save ferret
lives.  Florida is quite a hotbed of heartworm activity and ProHeart is
the only treatment that has proven safe and effective.  The last of Dr.
C's ProHeart has been used on two ferrets just this week.
 
THIS IS A SERIOUS PROBLEM AND WE REALLY NEED YOUR HELP TO TRACK THIS
PRODUCT DOWN.  PLEASE CALL YOUR VET ASAP AND ASK IF THEY HAVE ANY
PROHEART AND WOULD BE WILLING TO TALK TO DR. C ABOUT PURCHASING IT.
 
Please contact me directly if possible and I will get the information to
Dr. C right away.  I check email frequently or you can call me at the
number below (evenings).
 
For the ferrets,
Mike
 
* Michael Janke, [log in to unmask]
* South Florida Ferret Help Line, 305-385-6750
*
* Website:  http://www.miamiferret.org
* Ferret Health Care: http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc
*
* Ferret Health List: http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
[Posted in FML issue 4689]