-> From:   Pamela Greene <[log in to unmask]>
->
-> 2) He's remarkably well trained: he won't nip at a finger even if you tempt
-> him with it.  (That's a big reason why we went to a farm instead of the pet
-> store.  The problem is, he also won't lick Ferretone off of a finger held
-> in front of his nose, so we can't reward him for good litter habits.  Do we
-> just need to give him the Ferretone from a little bottle, or could we
-> conceivably have a ferret that -doesn't- like Ferretone?!
 
well, here's a suggestion.  when I clip my ferrets nails, I sit on a couch,
put my legs together, and lay the ferret on its back on my legs.  I squirt
a little Linatone on its belly and gently push its nose until it finds the
Linatone.  it licks itself clean, blissfully unaware that I am removing its
nails.  so maybe you could turn the ferret over and squirt the Ferretone
on itself!
 
-> From:   [log in to unmask]
->
->     Since the changes in ferret veterinary care are so rapid, and
 increasingly
-> complex, and because so much of prevention and treatment are still largely
-> guesswork -- albeit educated guesswork when possible, it is ESSENTIAL that
 your
-> veterinarian(s) be well read, experienced, up-to-date, and willing to
-> consistently and often interact with ferret veterinary experts.   If that is
 not
-> the case, dump that individual just as you would a bad human physician.
 
This sounds great!  But how do I know if my vet is "well read, experienced, up-
to-date, and willing to consistently and often interact with ferret veterinary
experts?"  What would be great to have is a list of questions that I could ask
a vet to see if they have a clue about ferrets.  Something like "What do I look
for in a good cat food?"  To which they should respond, "lots of aminal
 protein."
So how 'bout it, all you ferret-vet-expert-types?  Can you come up with a good
list of questions and answers that us non-expert-types could use to drill a vet
with?
 
If you would prefer to email the questions and answers to me, I'll compile them
and post them to save bandwidth.  Send them to:
 
        [log in to unmask]
 
[Posted in FML issue 0621]