I love the changes you got them to make. One thing about PetSmart
is that it DOES LISTEN. I can't think of any other store that sells
ferrets starting when they are old enough to have all their kit
vaccines on board, complete with the vet certificate -- an approach
they decided to take after first learning from people like Linda Iroff
of the IFC.

That 12 week approach is what they were doing when we got our Telemna.
(We had not planned on getting a kit that day and were there to do
cage and dental assessments to see how they were implementing their
program.) Steve fell for Telemna, though, so we gave her to each other
for what was then our upcoming 25th anniversary. She is a robust ferret
who is now 2 years old, and she's the one who loves to create music for
about 20 minutes each day on her tot's 4 key piano.

(I don't know if they still have the 12 week old age minimum.)

Another thing I like is the way they limit which stores can sell
certain animals. It seems to me that as far as large pet stores go they
are in many ways setting the standards other large stores should try to
reach. (Though I would like it if fewer places of any type sold ferrets
with neural crest genetics markings such as panda heads and head blazes
since too many health problems are associated with those -- loads of
info in Ferret-Genetics in Yahoogroups on that, and also smaller
amounts in the archives of the FML (addy in each day's header) and FHL
(in my sig lines).)

While it is hard to believe that anyone may have missed the
announcement, I keep running into people, so, folks will be pleased to
know that APHIS is going to go to an 8 week minimum age for sale and
transport of ferrets. Photos to assist APHIS and stores in dental aging
are here:

http://pets.ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/photos/browse/242e

and here is info on the dental eruption ages:

Here are the dental eruption ages in approximate days after birth from
page 37, _Biology and Diseases of the Ferret, 2nd edition_:

"The deciduous teeth erupt between 20 and 28 days"

and on page 36, same text this data:

Upper

Canine:  50 days
Molar 1: 53 days
Premolars 2, 3 and 4: 60 days

Lower:

Canine and Molar 1: 50 days
Premolar 2: 60 days
Premolar 3: 67 days
Premolar 4 and Molar 2: 74 days

The eruption ages for the incisors are more variable, but the others
are tight enough that you can age a ferret kit with them.

Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html

[Posted in FML 5662]