Okay, I need to say this in a way which doesn't sound like I am
encouraging or condemning, and that is hard, especially when sleep
deprived.
 
I am not sure that the worry of blockage from the foam in the Octoplay
toy is a valid concern.  Now, maybe it is when a person has one with a
lot of exposed foam and has a ferret eat a very large amount.  Still...
 
You see, as a juvenile one of our past ferrets ate much larger chunks of
a mattress foam than I suspect could ever be eaten from this toy -- real
whoppers, and went on to live to be around 9 years old.  The foam readily
broke up in her stomach and never posed a risk.
 
(That is very much unlike both the piece of sponge an earlier ferret
ingested, or the styrofoam packing pellet a later ferret got.  Luckily,
with all of those surgery was able to be avoided with judicious use of
laxatives.  )
 
For safety's sake, even though our own ferrets have not eaten the
exposed foam in ours I did bit by bit remove so much excess foam that
any ferret would be lucky to get off enough to block a nostril.  Then
for the heck of it I decided to exceedingly roughly simulate stomach
acidity by putting two pieces in vinegar.  I did not simulate the
mechanical actions which also happen in stomachs to break up food.  The
vinegar in about an hour and a half had reduced the pieces to much
smaller sizes, and had made them friable (easily broken) and also let
some granular feeling residue.  The resulting smaller pieces remained
compressible and bendable -- not at all stiff -- also good.  I think it
would be interesting if some others tried this with large pieces.
 
Now, I have been told that the amount of exposed foam varied greatly
among toys, so perhaps someone else may have a ferret who does happily
chew and swallow foam, and maybe larger pieces exposed, so this can't
be generalized, though maybe it will ease some heartache to know what I
experienced.
 
There is also the question of what foam may do once broken down.  Some
hydrocarbons come with their own sets of concerns.  Honestly, I don't
know.  Nor do I know if that varies among individuals.
 
What I do know is that I personally have my suspicions that the risk
of blockages from this doesn't match the level of worry expressed.  I
wonder if it even can actually cause blockages.
 
Never-the-less, I come bearing glad tidings.  Not only did Ferret Depot
pull this toy and offer reimbursement when the ferret public spoke up,
but I have been told that Marshalls has committed to a newer version
addressing the concerns expressed.  Today a toy, tomorrow federal
standards once enough people tell the USDA/APHIS that they support such
changes... The ferret public is learning to stand up and be counted, so
that is a good result.
 
Our Hubble loves this toy, absolutely adores it.  If many ferrets out
there share his inclination I am sure that the updated version, once
complete will really be something worth assessing.
 
Personally, I think that being ready to take back an item which is
questioned and being ready to redesign such an item are both really
classy actions, and I applaud those who made these decisions!
 
I decided to keep ours.  Hubble adores it, and I have modified it now.
This is only my choice and I know that everyone will vary, just as our
ferrets do.  Make your own choice based upon your own situation.
 
Sukie (not a vet)
Ferret Health List co-moderator
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
FHL Archives fan and regular user
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org
International Ferret Congress advisor
http://www.ferretcongress.org
[Posted in FML issue 4980]