Dear FML Friends,

I usually do not post about medical issues, as with me, if it is more
than a Band-Aid, you are on your own.

That said, I was looking over Sukie's list of poisons, and felt I just
had to post. I have my Fire Extinguisher handy so I will be ready for
the Flamers.

I took a ferret into my care a few years ago, that had several issues.
It missed it's owner, and was not eating. It would take nothing from my
hand, a little from a spoon, but it went down hill fast.

It was laying flat, and refused even the warmed baby chicken that it
loved from my finger. Now, I have sat a small dish on my coffee cup
warmer and fed the whole dish of soup on my finger, over 1/2 hour, to a
sick ferret. But, this one would do nothing.

I asked the Shelter Mom about its home life, maybe I needed Rock music
in the background, maybe it liked plastic dishes, (I only use glass or
stainless) maybe I needed the right color, anything.

She did say this person was a smoker. The light went on. I am a Brown
Rice kinda gal, so I did not have any cigarettes. I put the ferret back
into the cage, jumped into my car, and headed for the local gas
station.

I asked the clerk for a package of her non-filter cigarettes I do not
care what brand. Well, they all know I have bubbles in my think tank,
so she picked out a package I think it was red. I paid for it, left,
and went home. I got a fire proof dish and lit up three. When they had
burned up, I took the ashes and rubbed them into my fingers on one
hand.

Then I washed my hand, heated up the baby chicken, and proceeded to
feed the ferret the chicken off of my finger.

Well, I was able to get away without losing my finger up to the wrist,
just barely. The little ferret ate like there was no tomorrow. It ate
all the chicken, and would eat all I could feed it as long as I had
the smell of smoke on my hands.

This is long so I'll cut it short. This ferret was with me for over
two years, and was a delight. When it passed, it was because of the
original issue it had when it came into hospice care. I kept using less
and less of the ashes, and finally after about two weeks, the ferret
was smoke free, and I just took lots of Vitamin C to help me along.

Moral of the story, your ferret will pick up on things like the
nicotine that adheres to your fingers, desire it. It finally started
eating from a dish and I won the fight.

Been there, done that, got the T-Shirt. This is a true story, I'm not
just coming down on the puffers. Also, I have done everything I could
to keep this ferrets family anonymous.

If nothing else makes you quit - do it for the ferrets, nicotine is a
real poison and should be considered so.

I believe in signing everything I write,

Marilyn Ledoux, and the (smoke free) gang at Ledoux Hospice.

[Posted in FML 5845]