Re:  Geri - grinding teeth and question of euthanasia
 
You have a tough case there, and I truely sympathize with you.  IF the little
guy has loss the zest for life and kind of drags himself around to accomplish
his daily duties then the time for decision making is near.  As far as
grinding the teeth, you can't always hear is as well as you might in say a
rabbit, but if you watch them from above, you can see recurrent  "twitching"
in the muscles of the head and his eyes will be half closed and if you put
your ear real close you may actually hear some grinding sounds.  They
frequently have excess salivation at the same time.  The most common times
that we see it is when you put food in front of them and they want to eat,
but appear nauseated and start with the behaviour that I have just decribed.
We can only guess that it is nausea that he is experiencing or some other
uncomfortable feeling.
 
I wish you luck with your difficult decision...he is obviously in a very
loving and caring home and he is lucky to have had the life he has already in
such a place.
Susan Brown, D.V.M.
 
Re:  PETA
 
Just a quick note to let you know...as it was no surprise to me that they
didn't like ferrets as pets...they don't really want ANY animals kept for
pets.  Their "hidden" agenda if you look at what the spokepeople for the
organization say is that pets should be phased out entirely and all should be
left to the wild.  The higher ups in the organization feel that dogs and cats
will die out naturally when released back to the wild  because they are not
"natural" species of animals.  Start reading their literature a little more
closely and you will see what I mean.  They have said these very statements
outright, and I will dig up some of the information for you to pass along.
It will do no good to try to convince them of the use of ferrets as pets
because they are not interested in animals as pets.  I know that I will get
some static for saying this, but I believe they are a dangerous group that
does not ultimately have the best interests of PETS and their people
counterparts at heart.  I recommend that we stop supporting them and support
other groups that have goals to stop animal cruelty, experimentation, etc,
but who still understand the importance of the HUMAN ANIMAL BOND.  I know for
myself, if my pets were taken away, I would rather be dead....because they
are what get me through the rough spots and they are a major part of my
reason for exisitence here.   There are a lot of very good animal rights
groups out there, but I don't happen to believe that PETA is one of
them....whatever you decide, read any groups' literature critically and
carefully before you support it.
P.S.  The Delta Society is one of my favorite organizations.
P.P.S.S.  I am NOT trying to start a war here and I any discussions on the
subject can be held in a respectful manner to the writer, I would hope.  I
mention this only because the animal rights issue is so emotional.  I am only
expressing my opinions and my experiences and each person is entitled to make
his or her own choices regarding this very sensitive issue.
Susan Brown, D.V.M.
 
[Posted in FML issue 0791]