Ardith, do I have to spread my wattles and fly out to you to dump a load
of used ferret litter where you are walking barefoot?  Bwwwahaha! ;-)
 
I happened across:
http://www.ferretexpert.info/allproducts-2600.htm
and noticed dangerous vinyl toys being sold as well as an antibiotic
which does not have a safe dose for ferrets known.  Didn't look at the
rest.
 
Arrrgghhhhh!
 
A few questions answered:
Raisins and grapes have been linked to kidney failure in ferrets and
dogs.  Dog food as a treat is okay in small amounts only, but it should
not be a primary food so empty her stashes of it.
 
For blindness use scent mapping, (See FML and FHL Archives.)  You can
use a safe scent on a bell toy which is on a "fishing pole" or on loose
bell toys to help find them.  Those tend to go over very well.  Ferrets
don't usually mind blindness if they can figure out from smells and
memory where things are.
 
Nobody dies of "old age"; in old age there are more illnesses so...
Yes, ferrets do reach old age.
 
She doesn't hate the water dishes; she is playing with them!  She is
also playing with you this way.
 
Ditto the food; she knows how to play you.  Try putting some food and
some water into hidden places when she can not see you, and make sure to
act like you don't see.  She will sneak those when you aren't watching.
 
Ferrets do all sorts of things when they dream; decades ago we even had
a ferret sleep walker.  Ferrets have one of the highest levels of REM
sleep in placental mammals.  Marsupials who have been tested have more
REM time.  There is a strong correlation of the amount of time a species
spends in REM sleep and the level of development at birth -- less
developed = more REM time.
 
Why would someone not treat insulinoma due to age?  That makes no sense.
Check to be sure that it IS insulinoma first.  Diabetes is more rare
but can have the same symptoms, and not pancreatic things also can
cause lethargy, for instance cardiomyopathy.  Each needs to be treated
differently.
 
I hope that you find yourself a good Utah ferret vet soon.  If you look at
http://www.smartgroups.com/message/readmessage.cfm?
gid=1423922&messageid=15794&startid=15803
you will find vet listings
 
-- Sukie (not a vet)
Ferret Health List co-moderator
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
FHL Archives fan
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
replacing
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org
International Ferret Congress advisor
http://www.ferretcongress.org
[Posted in FML issue 5043]