It's been some time since we've posted to the FML, so I thought I'd bring
things up to date.  About a month ago we got two albino girls from Rose
Smith (LOS), whom we named Red(eyed) Sonja and Leewit.  Sonja is mine and
Leewit is Amy's (or vice-versa, depending on who you talk to, us or the
ferrets).  They were essentially raised in a cage in someone's back yard,
and had few social manners.  Rose calmed them down some, but the first
couple of weeks in their new home was rough on all concerned.
 
  Sonja is a bit of a recluse even now, and has to be sweet-talked into
coming out and playing.  Leewit is hell-bent for leather and will tackle
anything on two or four feet.  But she is also adapting well to our handling
her...so it evens out.
 
  Last week we were in a pet store, and saw a chocolate boy that had been on
sale there for about 5 weeks.  He had been marked down, and looked so bored,
so lonely, so, so...anyway, we took him home.  And he has turned into the
best thing to happen in quite a while.  He's a happy-go-lucky kid, always
wants to play, no bad temper tantrums, full of energy and bounce.  He has
calmed down the older ferrets who were upset with the two snow princesses,
and has given the two younger girls someone more their age to play with.
 
  At any road, where a month ago we were five F.L.A.'ers, there are now
eight.  The army is growing!
 
   --++==++==++==++==++--
 
Now the question(s).  Ashke seems to have a cold, with a rather phlegmy
 cough.  As Amy puts it, it sounds like a hairball cough, but more "liquidy".
 I cannot hear any kind of congestive sounds when she breathes, basically it
 sounds like a head cold kind of cough (to me).  And the others are starting
 to sneeze a little more often :^/.
 
1. How long does it take (usually) for a ferret to get over a cold?  If none
 of the kids are running fevers, do we get overly concerned? Ashke is eating
 well, playing, etc.
 
2. The other possibility that we've considered is that the kids are all
 allergic to the tree.  This is the first year we've had a tree, since we've
 had ferrets, and we're not sure if maybe that's not the problem.  What would
 be the symptoms of an allergic reaction by the ferrets to the tree (it's a
 fir of some kind...)?
 
We are treating Ashke with .5cc of orange children's triaminic 3/day.  Amy's
 concern is that Ashke doesn't seem to be responding immediately, hence the
 question about duration.  Any info would be greatly appreciated...
 
 
Pete & Amy                       |  The Ferret Liberation Army
 [log in to unmask]           |  Merlynn, Morgan, Arthur, Coconut,
                                 |   Ashke, Sonja, Leewit & Barak
 
              "Ferrets are God's apology for cats."
 
[Posted in FML issue 0671]