Hello again, after a long silence...
 
> > Geeze ... I got mine (Marshall Farms ferret)  around 5 years ago. I'm
> > beginning to think I was lucky to get my babies when I did ...
> >
> Marshall farms has had a closed colony for 40 years, so it get's worse
> daily.
 
 My little guy is a Marshall Farms ferret, and he seems perfectly fine.
 Perhaps a touch near-sighted, but I'm not even sure of that...
 
 How old does a ferret need to be before some of these genetic problems
 begin to surface?  Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the information
 exchange that happens here, but reading this mailing would give a person
 second thoughts about owning one of these adorable creatures.
 
> To add insult to injury (has this one already been posted?) there's a
> new farm up in Canada that's sending out ferrets at 6 weeks *one day
> after being altered with stitches intact that DO NOT DISSOLVE*, AND
> they don't tell new owners that they need to be taken care of!!!
 
 Sounds like a good argument for something I've seen a number of the
 pet shops out this way doing...  They supply a free vet visit or two
 with the purchase of a ferret.
 
> >  1. How often should they be eating wet food?  We feed them Iams kitten
>
> Never.  Feed dry kitten food.  If they start getting overweight switch
> to cat food.  At about 4 years old you should go to cat food, if you
 
 All this constant talk about feline food...  Doesn't anybody use
 "ferret food"?  There are several brands sold in Colorado, is there
 something I should know about using this stuff?
 
 Re: descenting...
 
> [It doesn't really kill all or even most of the smell.
 
 Ya coulda' fooled me!  My little guy doesn't need a bath to eliminate
 odor more than once ever few months.  I doubt you could make that claim
 for an intact male ferret.
 
[Of course not.  But the answer is spaying, not descenting.]
 
> Many expert ferret veterinarians discourage descenting.
 
 What are the specific concerns?  What is attributed to the descenting?
 
 And now - Some of my tried and true questions, which I'm still seeking
 answers to...
 
 - We all know the hazards of feeding a carpetshark milk, but does anyone
   actaully know why?  Are "lactose-free" products okay for them, or are
   "fat-free" products okay?  What is it about goat's milk that makes it
   an acceptable for our *kids*?
 
 - Does anyone know a good vet in the Colorado Springs area?  I've a vet
   I feel pretty good about up in Fort Collins, but I need to find one
   down south here, just in case.
 
 - I read something here awhile back that mentioned "declawing" - is this
   a common practice?  My old roommate's declawed cat seemed perfectly
   healthy and happy, what is the general belief about this in terms of
   our little friends?
 
 Anyway...  Back to my usual lurk.
 
[Posted in FML issue 0451]