RE teeth cleaning:  Urban, get a tooth scalar (a metal instument to
scrape teeth, like a dentist uses).  About every 6 months or
whenever needed scrape all the tartar off their teeth.  If you
can't find one at the pet stores, ask your dentist if he has an
old one that he doesn't need any more.
 
RE  showing ferrets:
 
(Bill, how about cutting all this out and saving it as a FURO show FAQ,
so that people can access it via the mail server.  I really don't want
to have to type all this in again...)
 
>   1.  What qualifications do you need to meet,
>       myself and the ferret?
 
The only qualifications (note:  I only know about FURO rules) are
that the ferret has to be over 16 weeks old, vaccinated, healthy,
and registered with FURO.  Your only qualification is that you have
a ferret.  :)
 
>   2.  What do the judges look for?
 
Temperament - ferrets should not mind being held (don't try to nip
judge, relaxed, not nervous).  Ferrets that bite a judge are
disqualified. (hobs/jills 25%, gibs/sprites 30%)
 
Maintenance & Health - good muscle tone, clipped nails, clean ears,
good fur, healthy long wiskers, bright eyes, clean teeth, healthy
skin/foot pads/nose.  Any sign of illness will be counted against.
Note:  It is of utmost importance that you clean ears, clip nails,
and clean teeth beforehand.  Also, clip nails a few days beforehand,
as they count against freshly clipped nails.  (hobs/jills 25%
gibs/sprites 30%)
 
Conformation - this is the category I least understand.  It involves
the skeletal structure, rib cage size, ears and eyes should be symmetrical,
eyes should be 1/2 way between ears and nose, ferret should walk
properly w/ toes not overly splayed.  Declawed/defanged ferrets will
not be allowed on show grounds (unless, possibly, you can prove you
adopted them that way, then it might be considered a handicap).
Handicapped ferrets will be judged, in alter class only, as if they do
not have the handicap, whole ferrets with a handicap are extremely
discouraged and the score will indicate this.  Handicaps include missing
body parts, bent/mishapen body parts, and cataracts.  (hobs/jills 25%,
gibs/sprites 20%)
 
Coloration - they should be a good representative of their color/marking.
This isn't a very strict catagory.  (hobs/jills 25%, gibs/sprites 20%)
 
To register with FURO, send a request for a ferret registration
application to:
FURO
Office of the Registrar
P.O. Box 11216
Boulder, CO  80301
 
It is $4/ferret/members $5/ferret/non-members to register.  Membership
is $25/year and they have an excellent newsletter.  Note:  you are
going to need to send in a clear non-polaried photo of the ferret,
so you can be finding/taking that while you wait.  (If you request
a show packet from the hosting group there's always a FURO ferret
registration sheet attached)
 
Like I said before, these are FURO rules.  I don't know what the
IFA requires, if anything.  There are also independent shows, which
may vary as to what you need and the rules.
 
RE ferret w/ fur loss -
> From:  [log in to unmask] (Tyler Greenberg)
> Subject: Re: HELP! FERRET IN NEED OF FUR!!
 
Tyler, It sounds like Ayla has an adrenal tumor.  As a matter of
fact, I would be willing to bet on it.  Don't panic, they
are extremely rarely malignant, and it's a surgery that they
bounce back from extremely well.  It's almost always the left
adrenal (fortunately, since the right adrenal is extremely hard
to remove due to it's location).  They are, sadly, very common
in ferrets.  The syptoms are hair loss (from tail up), swollen
vulva (females only, obviously), thinning of skin, and muscle
mass loss.  These symptoms aren't the same as for cats and dogs,
which is why non-ferret vets often have trouble diagnosing it.  But
it is a classic ferret problem, and any ferret knowledgable person
knows what it is.
 
Have your vet call Dr. Thomas Kawasaki.  He's one of the foremost
experts in the country on this type of problem, and he doesn't
mind conferring with other vets.  He's also been working on finding
a blood test that is conclusive in ferrets for diagnosing this.
He can also tell your vet the best way to anesthetise, etc...
 
Dr. Thomas Kawasaki
Old Bridge Veterinary Hosp.
3604 Old Bridge Rd.
Woodbridge, VA  22192
(703) 494-0094
 
Good luck!  And keep us posted.
 
- Nancy
 
Nancy Hartman                     CIS graduate student
[log in to unmask]                  U. of Delaware
        President and founder, Delaware Valley Ferret Club
          Owner of Percy, Bree, & Popcorn, the ferrets
 
[Posted in FML issue 0421]