Okay, I think I'm finally caught up after being on vacation...
If nobody is willing to repost the McDowell (sp?) situation with
an update, does someone at least remember which issue the most
complete review of their case was in?
It's hard to spread the word when you don't know the story...
---------------------------------------
From: [log in to unmask] (Katherine Fritz)
Subject: Responses to past issues
Date: Wed, 2 Mar 1994 11:39:51 -0500
>From: <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Wed, 23 Feb 1994 11:18:55 -0500
>Subject: Re: NY state, peppermint, etc. (was breeders liscense)
[deletions]
> I'm curious what other state's licenses are like. Are most of them
like
>New York's? Now since I'm in Tennessee I suppose I should find out what their
>requirements are.
Clint, I don't know where you are in Tennessee, but try contacting the
Tennessee Valley Ferret Club -- Bobby Eaton, 2109 Collins Lane, Soddy
Daisy, TN 37379, 615-843-1786.
>From: Angelique Di Schino <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Wed, 23 Feb 1994 14:48:41 -0500
>Subject: Taking Furries To Mexico
Angelique, I have no information on this, but Ann Davis at
[log in to unmask] or Pam Grant at [log in to unmask]
may be able to point you in the right direction.
>From: Pyrophage <[log in to unmask]>
>Date: Wed, 23 Feb 1994 22:05:12 -0500
>Subject: Our ferret's first class - and knows it!
>A funny thing happened to my fiance on the way to NYC...
Funny story, Geri -- and I'm so glad it didn't have dire consequences,
especially considering your fiance was going to NYC, of all places.
>From: [log in to unmask] (Deb Simicich)
>Subject: Is Florida a ferret free zone?
>Date: Thu, 24 Feb 1994 00:20:25 -0500
Ferrets are legal throughout Florida, as far as I know. It's possible
individual localities may ban them, but I'm not aware of any.
Try contacting Chere McCoy of Ferret Friends of Indian River County,
8775 20th St., Lot 614, Vero Beach, FL 32966, 407-567-0994. True,
she's not in Palm Beach County, but she's very plugged into what's
going on around there.
>From: [log in to unmask]
>Date: Thu, 24 Feb 1994 01:19:26 -0500
>Subject: Re: Ferret List Issue 737
>I have a question I hope I can get some answer to. I have a ferret that has
>had a peroid of being sick and dropped a lot of weight. He is fine now but
>I am having the devil of a time putting some of that weight back on him.
Hope you saw Ann Davis's posting of the famous Duck Soup recipe a couple
of issues back (the same one your post appeared in). Also, Suki Crandall
has suggested mixing hardboiled egg yolks, cooked rice and Nutrical with
dry cat food.
> But the success rate following adenoma removal is high. Of course, a
>lesion may arise in the other adrenal, but for the most part, these animals go
>on to regrow their hair, and live a normal life. They do just fine on one
>adrenal.
Dr. Williams,
I'm afraid this is the situation we find ourselves in with our Molly. Last
spring we noticed she had an extremely swollen vulva (her only symptom) and
subsequently she was diagnosed with an adrenal gland tumor. She had the
right adrenal gland removed last May. It took about 10 weeks for the swelling
to go down, at which point she started losing her fur. She became nearly
bald until shortly before Christmas, it all grew back. Thereafter, the vulva
became swollen again. All signs point to another adrenal gland tumor.
Obviously she can't have the other gland removed, and it doesn't seem to be
affecting her behavior at all, but is there anything we can do? Mainly we're
concerned of the possibility of infection due to the continuing vulval
enlargement.
Re: Ferret FAQ
>[begin BW]
>* Lymphosarcoma. Lymphosarcoma is the most common type of cancer in
>the ferret. It is a tumor of a certain type of white blood cell, and
>the most common clinical sign is enlargement of the lymph nodes. It
>may also arise in the abdomen, where lymph nodes can only be felt with
>reasonable accuracy by your veterinarian. It is most commonly seen in
>older animals from 4-6 years of age, although animals as young as a
>year old can have it. While animals initially respond well to
>chemotherapy, they usually relapse in 2 months or less, and generally
>are put to sleep at this time. The prognosis for any ferret with
>lymphosarcoma is poor.
I have to add my two cents here -- my ferret Bandit was in chemotherapy
for lymphosarcoma from April 1992 to March 1993, and has been off all
medications since July 1993. He had a followup with the oncologist, Dr.
Ann Jeglum, this Saturday, who gave the B-Man a clean bill of health --
no lymph node swelling at all! She also checked his blood levels, and
they were within normal range (I don't have the values with me, but can
post them if there's any interest).
I do realize that Bandit's case is not usual, and Dr. Jeglum told us that
he is the longest-lived survivor she's seen off the drugs. Why he's done
so well is not entirely clear -- I thought perhaps because we had caught it
early, but Dr. Jeglum said once the lympho is in the liver, it can't be
considered an "early" cancer. Maybe because of his age? He was 3-1/2 at
the time he was first diagnosed (he's now 5-1/2). Will to live? He's a
tough little guy. Though wiry as a rail, Bandit is in good spirits and
quite active.
The Animal Medical Center had given us a prognosis of 3-8 months, whether
or not he had chemo -- it's now been a year. They use Dr. Jeglum's protocol,
by the way. Pam Greene, I forwarded you a copy of the chemo protocol that
Dr. Jeglum used on Bandit -- did you receive it?
Meanwhile, Pam, I am reading the FAQ closely and will be sending you comments
shortly.
Re: Susan Brown's long post in FML #742:
>Here is a list of a few of the good people (Dr. Williams is already available
>to you I presume):
[deletions]
>
>Animal Medical Center in New York
>Dr. Karen Rosenthal, Dr. Kathy Quesenberry, Dr. Heidi Hoeffer
> FAX:1-212-832-9630
I can second this wholeheartedly -- Karen Rosenthal is terrific! She's
one of the reasons we still have Bandit with us, two years after he was
diagnosed with lymphosarcoma.
>Other names (that I do not have numbers right in front of me for, but you
>could call info)
>Dr. Deborah Kemmerer, Gainesville, FL
Phone 904-332-4357, Newberry, FL
>Dr. Tom Kawasaki (I believe that he is on FML) Woodbridge, VA.
Dr. Kawasaki is not an FML subscriber that I'm aware of.
Phone 703-690-2580
>Dr. Greg Rich in New Orleans, LA
Don't have this one -- if you dig it up, please post!
>THere are many, many more excellent names that I am sure that you all could
>add to the list, and I hope that you will. THere is a powerful and useful
>network of us out there that can help.
Pam Grant of STAR*Ferrets is always looking for names of vets (along with
clubs, shelters, contacts, etc.) to add to the STAR* database. You can
e-mail her at [log in to unmask] -- better yet, join STAR and you'll
get regular updates of the list. STAR*Ferrets, P.O. Box 1714, Springfield,
VA 22151-0714 -- $10 a year, and a good cause, IMO.
>Another thought is that there is now an inexpensive series out, produced by
>the American Animal Hospital Association
>12575 West Bayaud Ave. Lakewood, DO 80228
>800-252-2242 for practitioners on exotic pets. THere are five books in the
>series and Dr. Jeff Jenkins and I produced the one on Rabbits and Ferrets (he
>did the rabbit part). It is practical, useful, has drug dosages, treatments,
>husbandry, normal clinical pathology values, diagnostic techniques that might
>be useful for your vet. (Again, I get no royalties for this, but I think it
>is a very useful publication for the vet that is getting started)
I'd heard that you had recently done a book. I'm interested in seeing it
myself. Thanks for the info.
>And lastly...consider America On Line. We have a petcare forum (keywork
>Petcare for those of you already on it)with a section on questions for vets,
>which has a specific board for ferrets where your questions can be answered
>by vets and a Veterinary Information Network (keyword VIN) that is
>specifically for vet and accessed only by vets VIN has a board for small
>mammals other than cats which includes ferrets. At least 4 expert vets
>answer questions for other vets on this board. I do not mean to draw any of
>the traffic away from the wonderful FML board, but these suggestions are very
>specific for veterinary concerns, that may give additional information to
>FML. I would recommend subscribing to several sources of information...we
>can all always learn more (especially me!)
>Susan Brown, D.V.M.
I'd like to also add CompuServe to the list of online resources available.
I am currently co-section leader of the Small Mammals Section (Section 11)
of the Pets/Animals Forum on CIS, but have been a member for much longer.
I discovered the FML through CompuServe -- back issues are stored in the
Small Mammals Library. We have many FMLers who are CompuServe members,
and CompuServe members who read the FML through the Small Mammals Library.
The Small Mammals section features lots of ferret talk, and we also have
sponsored several online ferret conferences, with Ann Davis of LIFE as our
guest host, and appearances by Pam Grant of STAR*Ferrets, and Jan Lovell
and Juliana Quadrozzi of the Georgia Domestic Ferret Association
(transcripts available in the Small Mammals library). In addition, the
Pets/Animals Forum also offers a veterinary section, Ask-A-Vet (Section
7), which has a dedicated staff of vets available to answer questions. GO
PETS to find us.
[deleted three copies of the above paragraph.]
Bottom line, of course, is: if your ferret is sick, GO TO THE VET. Online
consulting is no substitute for hands-on care. Not to mention that
frequently by the time we notice our carpet sharks are sick, they are VERY
sick. Don't wait that long! Most of us know our ferrets well enough to
know when their behavior is not quite right -- this is often a tipoff that
they are not feeling well.
I agree with Dr. Brown that the more information available, the better!
(I never dreamed I would learn as much as I have in the past two years
since Bandit got sick and I was desperate for info!)
>From: [log in to unmask] (MR MICHAEL J BERGER)
>Date: Sun, 27 Feb 1994 21:46:28 -0500
>Subject: The McDowell's--an "update"
Michael, you don't know how sorry I am to hear about the McDowell
developments. :-(
>The pleas have been forwarded so often that they have lost their sting.
>But, still, I have a request. The ACLU won't help them. The court system
>has failed them. The local media won't support them, and the national
>media (American Journal) won't help without videotape (how does one
>videotape ferrets one does not have??). They need suggestions. If some
>good ones come in before I send the copies to them, I will be happy to
>forward them, or you can call them directly (the number is in former
>issues); as I said before, they are very friendly, and moral support, and
>prayer, are the most important things they need right now. (Money doesn't
>hurt, of course!! :)
I don't understand why this has gone on so long. It's such a blatant
violation of their rights. :-( I know Ann Davis of the League of Independent
Ferret Enthusiasts was collecting money for the McDowells -- LIFE, 9330 Old
Burke Lake Road, Burke, VA 22015
>From: [log in to unmask]
>Date: Sun, 27 Feb 1994 22:35:00 -0500
>Subject: Califorina ferret people need to write or call on AB2497 now
>
>I talked with Pat Richards from CDFA the California ferret assoc.. He said
>that the assembly committee that is reviewing AB2497 will vote on it March
>11. Now is the time to write to the members of the committee. Please post
>this on Compuserve.
Thanks for the heads-up -- I will upload this to Pets/Animals on
CompuServe today.
---------------------
Katie Fritz
Small Mammals Section Leader/CompuServe Pets/Animals Forum
Internet: [log in to unmask] CIS: 71257,3153
[Posted in FML issue 0745]
|