Last week I made a posting about an albino kit that I got from someone
who had treated it most horrendously.  I was contacted by some people
from the US asking me to post further details of the circumstances of
exactly how we came across the sick little kit, so here they are.
 
My name is Cliff Bull and with my wife Diane I run the C & D Ferret
Sanctuary.  Last year I received a phone call from a Ms Sheila Crompton
who runs the Bolton Ferret Welfare.  Ms Crompton is also a senior member
of the National Ferret Welfare Society here in the UK.
 
Ms Crompton asked me if I would take an injured kit from her because she
was going away on the PR trail for a few weeks.  I made arrangements to
go and collect the kit along with Diane.  When we arrived we were shocked
at the condition of this very sick albino kit that Ms Crompton claimed
she had had handed in that morning.
 
The poor thing's jaw was just a mess, very badly broken (photo attached).
[Photo not attached on the FML] Ms Crompton explained that she had been
trying to feed the kit watered down ferret food but said he just wouldn't
take it.
 
Ms Crompton went on to explain that she thought its jaw was dislocated
and tried to show us how to pop it back into place.  Not wanting the kit
touched there and then I insisted that a qualified veterinarian should be
the judge of the kit's treatment.  Ms Crompton went on to explain that
you just push your thumb deep inside the ferret's mouth and push down
firmly.  I checked the kit as Ms Crompton had sexed the kit as being a
jill.  It was very clear it was a male with testicles.
 
We set off towards home with the boy and phoned the vet on route who was
waiting for our arrival.  Our vet wanted to x-ray but was unable to
do so because the poor mite would probably not take the anaesthetic.
Unfortunately he could not be given any pain relief because he was so
young.  We took the kit home on the vet's advice, and made him some
watered down warm ferret complete.  Funny, because the kit that hadn't
eaten was on a mission to drink the food.  After the weekend he returned
to the vet and had his x-ray confirming his badly broken jaw, but the vet
again would not risk an anaesthetic due to the kit's weak state.
 
A few days later and Luky, as he was then named, was able to take the
strain of the operation and his jaw was fixed back into its rightful
place.  Luky was still generally weak for a considerable length of time
but his jaw fully healed and he was eventually rehomed to two of our
friends.  He's now living a life of luxury as a very spoilt house ferret.
Luky had no problem trying out his new jaw on his new friends and is a
cheeky boy.
 
Some weeks later Ms Crompton posted on an internet message board that she
actually had the kit with her in that condition for several days.
 
Here are Ms Crompton's own words, "I got a very malnourished ferret in I
checked the ferret out and no male sexual organs were visible.  He was
here for just over a week before it became obvious it was a hob." Ms
Crompton revealed in this posting that she was quite aware that the
ferret was injured - "if my failing to ascertain what sex an injured hob
was".
 
Having read this at the time I immediately contacted Ms Crompton and
asked her about this and was horrified to be told that she never took
Luky to see a vet in the time he was with her knowing him to have a
broken jaw and then watching him slowly deteriorate because he couldn't
eat.  And then sshe dumped him (thank god) on somebody else just so that
she could raise a few pounds.
 
The second half of my post about this person is also one of a serious
nature, Ms crompton made this very disturbing post on FML that had no
basis in truth at all, and arose as a result of a me and a few others
simply asking for the data from the trials that Ms Crompton claimed had
taken place regarding this treatment.  Ms Crompton refused to forward any
information at all and responded with this post on FML.
 
 
"Ferret health care is at risk.  Every time you take your ferret to a vet
the chances are that it will have to be treated with drugs not licensed
for ferrets.  Your vet will decide what is the most appropriate treatment
in the light of his/her experience of the range of drugs open to use.  Up
to now vets have been happy to share those decisions with owners, ferrets
clubs and various websites and publications.  After years of trying to
work with vets to build up a rapport with vets over treatment of ferrets
for various illnesses it all could be threatened because three people -
Eric and Ruth Corbett, and Cliff Bull - have taken in on themselves to
judge that treatments are wrong and have contacted vets to threaten
action against them.  None are vets, none have responded to any requests
from any individual or welfare organisation for evidence of their
concern, yet they feel THEY are the appropriate people to contact YOUR
vets about YOUR ferrets.
 
This has all arisen over the use of fiprinol, the active ingredient of
Frontline (which for many of us is the trusted method of dealing with
fleas and ticks) for ear mites.  Some vets use it as drops in the ear
canals.  This is also mentioned in the BSAVA Manual of Exotic Pets and on
various websites.  Fiprinol is not licensed for this use but vets have
the professional right to resort to off-label drugs where they feel it is
most appropriate to do so.  If there is evidence that this should not be
practised no-one has any concern about publishing information which
corrects currently available information, but the Corbetts and Mr Bull
have never been willing to divulge their supposed sources of concern.
 
The bottom line is how do you feel that if your vet feels he/she might
receive threatening letter when they have tried to help your ferret from
someone you don't know, they don't know, nor who knows anything about
your ferret?  And this from people who claim to be concerned for ferret
welfare?"
 
We all have a right to defend ourselves and I am doing just that.
 
Cliff
[Posted in FML issue 4716]