The new distributor says that the kits they supply to stores are 6 and
7 weeks when sent to the stores -- younger than MFs usually are by
dental aging when they appear in pet stores locally) -- so that is
worse. Also, even w all their troubles MF met USDA standards for their
farm better than the U.S. competitors in the years for which I was able
to get that data -- albeit that's old data now so may no longer apply.
What standards does Canada have for pet farms and how often do they
inspect farms? Do the provinces vary as widely as states do in the U.S.
and do their federal inspections cover ferrets sold to the wholesale
pet market? Export and import standards? Randie says that she was told
that there is a Canadian source reported now so this becomes an
important question if what she was told is correct.
Here is the distributor the earlier posts on the FML said was going to
be used. Yes, the kits will live in stacked pull-out drawers there
according to their own pages.
> http://www.petagesourcebook.com/company/109446/Fish_Mart_Inc_.aspx
>Pet Mart
>wholesale tropical fish and pets
>28 Richard Street
>West Haven, CT 06516-3726
>United States
>
>Website: www.fishmartinc.com
>Toll-Free: 800-FIS-HMAR
>Phone: 203-937-7387
>Fax: 203-937-9865
>
> http://www.fishmartinc.com/
> http://fishmartinc.com/cgi-bin/inventory-search5.cgi?item=AN
> http://www.fishmartinc.com/hc-ferrets.htm
>
>refers to 6 week old ferrets
>
>It claims that ferrets may have been used in Ancient Egypt; which of
>the farms says that, I wonder? In doing that it confused mustelids with
>mongooses.
It also gives the bad advice:
>If they play roughly, holler NO! and thump their noses very lightly.
and another that has caused marrow failure in some ferrets:
>If they get fleas, use a flea dip approved for cats
and doesn't know the difference between colds -- which ferrets don't
get according to ferret expert veterinary pathologists -- and the
bacterial sinus infections and influenza that they do get:
>Ferrets are very susceptible to human colds
>
> http://www.fishmartinc.com/smallanimal.htm
>
>Photos and their text on their facility
>
> http://www.fishmartinc.com/news.htm
>
>"Small animal drawers"
>
> http://www.fishmartinc.com/facilityimprov.htm
Does anyone know yet if the original post was right and this is the
source? Any word on any farm with a vertical ear tat mentioned by
Randie in Wednesday's FML?
Hopefully, everyone's most recent bout of letters to APHIS of the USDA
(ended on the 8th of this month unless APHIS decides to extend it like
they did last time) will get the 8 weeks minimum age for sale and
transport of ferrets (unless not weaned in which case the age is older;
earlier travel for vet care is okay as is one other exception) and some
other mammals besides cats and dogs. (Cats and dogs already have an 8
week minimum.)
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.htmlhttp://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/http://www.ferretcongress.org/http://www.trifl.org/index.shtmlhttp://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
[Posted in FML 6027]
