Kudos to Dr. Susan Brown DMV for her insightful, informative and courageous
postings in FML 742.  A relative newcomer to FML, she has already been making
some valuable contributions. Anyway, I found particularly enlightening Dr.
Brown's discussion of the dangers to ferret health posed by early spay/neuter,
as practiced inter alia by the ferret mills.  Anecdotal accounts from various
ferret owners I have known have definitely pointed to trouble on this score, but
I had never seen a detailed theory of exactly how ferrets might be adversely
affected.
 
It is also sad but true that our ferrets in the United States don't live very
long, and seem for whatever reason--genetic, dietary, or endocrinal--to be
predisposed to conditions such as lymphoma and insulinoma.  If they live longer
in Europe, then the genetic theory could get a decent testing, over a 5-10 year
period, if more European ferrets were brought over here for breeding purposes.
Some friends of ours have imported a couple of whole German hobs, and the first
generations of kits have turned out robust and satisfactory in all respects,
though obviously it will take time to evaluate their longevity and health.  As
for diet, I don't know: The only ferret we've ever had that lived to be as old
as 9 yrs was a neutered pet-store male who basically spent almost his whole life
eating nothing but dry food, dates, and linatone.
 
On indigent ferret owners:
 
WARNING: The following comments are probably politically incorrect and will
doubtless be offensive to some readers--but someone has to say it---
 
From time to time I see postings, on this and other boards, from people who are
too poor or too cheap to take their ferrets to a veterinarian when they are
sick.  Although I am sorry if their financial predicament is such that they are
unable to afford proper veterinary care, I am too angry at their irresponsible
behavior to feel as sympathetic as perhaps I should.  Ferrets depend on us to
keep them well, and to keep them alive.  They are subject to any number of
diseases and other conditions (intestinal blockage, for example) that can kill
them quickly and prematurely if not treated.  Sometimes the treatment is very
expensive, frequently more so than veterinary care for dogs or cats.
 
But If people do not have the financial ability to care for their ferret, they
should quit being heroic fools trying to keep their pet alive -- and probably
not succeeding -- with "home remedies" or last year's cat medicine!  They should
do the honorable thing, and that quite simply is to GIVE THE FERRET UP, and by
that I mean turn it over to a respectable rescue shelter.  This may require a
bit of effort, but there are tons of good shelters around.
 
Just for starters, there are all the shelters nationwide that are affiliated
with the STAR* Ferrets coalition (Shelters That Adopt & Rescue Ferrets), which
can be contacted by writing Pam Grant, PO Box 1714, Springfield, VA 22151-0714,
or by sending email to her on Compuserve (73613,231), America on Line (STAR
Feret), GEnie (P.Grant6), or by telephone at 703-354-5073.  Even if there is not
a nearby shelter, there are good, concerned people out there who are willing to
make long drives to pick up ferrets needing rescue, I've seen it happen a lot of
times.
 
IMHO, there is really no excuse for keeping a ferret if you cannot care for it,
and you are certainly not doing the ferret a favor.  When your circumstances
improve, you can "make it up" by going back to that shelter and giving a proper
home to some other wonderful waif that needs one.
 
Howard Davis, Humane Affairs Editor, The Independent Voice.
 
[Posted in FML issue 0745]