Recently, we have had a run on adoptions, where we haven't done any
in months. (now stopped until after Xmas) We thought things were going
well, ferrets seem happy in their new homes and the adoptive families
seem to love the new additions.

Then we get a call from one of the adopters, that one of their ferrets
seemed to develop "weird" poops since the new additions to the family.
This was about 2-3 days after adopting. They took the ferret to one of
the excellent ferrets vets that we recommend people use, names withheld
to protect the guilty.

The vet, who we have used for years, and would still trust ANY of my
animals with, tells the adoptive "parents", that one of the ferrets
they adopted from us may have brought ECE into the home. They were, of
course, frightened and went home with some Amoxi and a plan of care.
When they got home they jumped on the web and did some research on ECE,
the causes, symptoms and anything else they could find. Nothing they
could find matched what their ferret was exhibiting for symptoms,so
they were thinking the vet must have made a mistake. (that's when he
called us)

We told him that none of our ferrets have ECE, and we have never had a
CONFIRMED case of ECE or any other contagious disease in the shelter
since we first opened 10 years ago. We told him that more than likely,
the ferret was a bit stressed by the sudden change in the family
dynamics and to follow up the vets directions and to make sure the
new ferrets weren't getting too rough on the "old" ferret.

Now to our dilemma...

We have used this vet for years, followed "them" from clinic to clinic
to clinic and were very happy with the service and relationship we had
with "them". They gave us a shelter discount, let us run a tab, and
accepted payments when we could pay them, even telling us "Don't worry
about the bill, pay when you can".

But when we found and started using our current vet, while still
working to pay off the old bill, things seem to have changed with
the old vet. Face to face, nothing seemed any different, and the
"relationship" was still friendly. But it just seems that "they" are
trying to smear our shelter name, and this isn't the first time. They
have told another person (whom they are good friends with) that we have
adopted to many times in the past, that they "shouldn't adopt or foster
anymore ferrets from the ferret rescue" due to the chance of his
ferrets "catching something" from us.

We have NEVER adopted out any sick or diseased ferrets, unless it was
to someone that was willing to foster or adopt a "Special Needs" case,
and that was with their full knowledge of the ferrets needs.

I guess my question is, how to respond to this vet? Am I getting
too paranoid in my old age, or could there be something this smear
campaign? Do I confront the vet and debate the issue or just ignore
what is being said? Who knows what is being said to people that we
never hear from again?

I wish I could afford to have every ferret taken in and tested, have
the shelter "swept" for contagions and then wave the results under the
vets nose, but that is not practical. We can barely afford to feed
and heat the shelter. Besides, there are no indicators that there is
anything in our shelter, other than ankle biters, that we need to
worry about.

What say the masses?

Jim Kennedy, Director
Ferret Rescue of Maine
A State licensed, 501c3 Non-profit shelter.
Donate to=A0shelter ferrets by clicking
igive.com/from

[Posted in FML 6899]