It was so sad to read the article on animal hoarding and the many
untreated and dead critters in New York, but it is NOT a surprise
that the person listed himself as a shelter/rescuer.  Animal hoarders
typically are people who see themselves as the animal's only real chance
in life when in fact they are the opposite.  Typically the individuals
do not get needed medical care, they are destroyed for frivolous reasons,
they are allowed to starve, etc.
 
Animal hoarders typically really BELIEVE that they are the only people
who can help these animals.  This is a serious mental illness, a
particularly harmful form of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
 
SEE THESE UPDATED LINKS ON ANIMAL HOARDING:
http://www.psychiatrictimes.com/p000425.html
"People Who Hoard Animals" by The Hoarding of Animals Research
Consortium, Corresponding Author Randy Frost, Ph.D., Psychiatric Times,
April 2000
 
http://www.tufts.edu/vet/cfa/hoarding/
the new address of an excellent site with many resources
 
http://www.animalsheltering.org/resource_library/
policies_and_guidelines/animal_hoarders_fact_sheet.html
 
HSUS has more info, too.
http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/oct02/021015a.asp
http://understanding_ocd.tripod.com/hoarding3_links3.html
http://www.pet-abuse.com/cruelty/hoarding.php
Note that you can search for abusers who have been convicted in
http://www.pet-abuse.com/database/
 
In NJ shelters are required by law to become licensed and inspected which
helps reduce this occurrence though it is not perfect and there are those
who don't follow the law.  If you need to surrender a ferret it sure
doesn't hurt to ask the state first if the shelter is a licensed one.
Contact whatever place inspects in your state, or here contact the
Nongame Division of NJ FG&W to see if the shelter is an inspected one
(Yes, the same department with which you get your own ferret permits
or ferret breeder permits.) after finding shelters in lists of shelters
such as
http://www.supportourshelters.org/
http://www.ferret.org/links/shelters.asp
---
 
Re: a message from:
http://www.petfinder.com/shelters/littlefurries.html
 
MOST adrenal growths are benign but NEED treatment.
 
Until surgery is possible there is NO excuse to not use Melatonin and
Lupron Depot.
 
Vets who are used to getting a lot of the Lupron can provide for about
$35 to $45 a month, and melatonin is dirt cheap!  When Suprelorin is
okayed for sale here it likely will cost less than Lupron.
 
Destroying this ferret or saying there is a 2 week window in which to
prevent euthanasia makes no sense whatsoever.  If you can't manage the
surgery right now then do the meds.
 
Furthermore, destroying a healthy ferret because he might miss his
cagemate too badly makes no sense at all, plain and simple.  How well
an individual will deal with mourning can not be predicted ahead of time
and they usually get better at it the more they have experienced it, the
same as we do.  There is no excuse for killing an animal in case he might
have a hard time with mourning.  If he has a hard time with mourning then
love him till he heals for goodness sake!
 
This letter caused my neck hair to stand on end.  Sorry, but it just did.
Sorry about having to be blunt.
 
If that person does not understand the most common ferret health needs
then she should not be taking in ferrets till she learns more.
*****I sincerely hope that the individual was just having a bad day and
exaggerated in her post as a result, because no matter how many times I
try to look for alternative ways to read the post I just am not finding
them.*****
 
Are there some vital details missing?  As written it makes no sense and
is very scary, plus it makes the person sound like someone I would not
encourage/help to have animals.
 
Things to help that person:
options when treating adrenal growths
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/adrenal.htm
melatonin use -- virtually all of the current info that ferret people
ever could want to know
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/melatonin.htm
 
Finding vets (Here is a post with multiple listings)
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=SG14829
 
-- Sukie (not a vet)
Ferret Health List
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
FHL Archives
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org
International Ferret Congress
http://www.ferretcongress.org
[Posted in FML issue 4961]