Hello FML
 
Becki - you just cracked me up on "for vetinary use only" on Nutrical.
I have never seen a vet squeezing and tube a sucking it down.  Many of the
products we use are so labeled - and I could be wrong about this because
maybe you have hit on something we did not know - but I think that this
disclaimer is for Rx use on our pets.  Have you ever tasted nutrical?  It is
yucky.  So is ferretone.  For the life of me, I do not know why our ferrets
love it so much.  But then again, I am not a ferret, although I do catch
myself saying "dook, dook, a-dook" sometimes.
 
For Dave Gold - A very good manual on colors and judging standards has been
put out by L.I.F.E. and you might wish to acquire this.  Please contact
[log in to unmask] for information.
 
M.S. - genito-urinary problems are not uncommon in ferrets.  From your
discription, sounds like a vaginitis - pehaps caused by e.coli contamination.
However, I note several have already replied on this matter and am assuming
you have already taken your baby to the vet. If you have not, please do so
immediately.  A good tip, by the way, and especially for whole jills, it to
clip the hair around the vulva.  Since the perenium (area between vulva and
anus) is so close in ferrets,  fecal matter caught on hair around the vulva
can cause problems.  Write back on FML and let us know how your ferret is
doing.
 
Katy & Chloe - you gave me quite a start when I saw the name Meg linked to a
recent loss - especially since I have a ferret named Zoe, which might be
pronounced the same way as your friend's poor baby.
While we all know not to step on any floor clothing or rug lumps, sometimes
accidents do happen.  And when they do, we all feel a horrible grief and
guilt.  Any ferret that has been stepped on (aside from foot or tail steps)
should be checked over very thoroughly, both by owner and vet.  I have had
two such accidents in my house.  Both involved internal bleeding, and
sometimes nothing is obviously wrong with the ferret.
 
About a year and a half ago, I had a young jill go over the top of my beds
headboard at about 90 miles an hour.  She seemed to be slightly stunned, and
as I moved furniture to get to her, she suddenly ran out, and my bare foot
"rolled over" her body.  I picked her up and laid her on the bed.  A thorough
and gentle examination did not show any obvious breaks or pain sites.  I put
her in the "hospital" cage and observed her.  She seemed to be o.k. but had
"shut down".  In other words, this extemely active youngster was not behaving
in normal fashion.  So, I packed her up and headed directly to the vet.  Her
vet examaned  her very thoroughly and found nothing wrong.  However, I was
still worried because she was so quiet, and at my insistance, he did a body
x-ray.  She was bleeding in her lungs.  Stethescope did not pick this up.
After several days on lasix and antibiotics - she was raring to go.  I did
keep her contained at some difficulty for nearly a week.  This story had a
happy ending.  And I only tell it because - if you have stepped on the body
of your ferret, you do need to have your ferret checked out immediately
Since Meg did this and her vet found nothing life threatening on examination
- well, what else can you do?  A previous step on accident examination on
another ferret also revealed nothing.  However, x-rays showed a clot located
in kidney area - surgery saved this ferret.  What is the moral here?  I am
not sure - but perhaps it would not hurt to x-ray or do sonograms on ferrets
who have been stepped on..
 
I am so sorry for Meg's loss and grieve with her.  It was not her fault.  No
matter how hard you try to avoid it, accidents do happen.   It is so hard to
find the right words to comfort a friend over a loss.  Just be there for her
- encourage her to talk out her grief, pain and self-blame.
Also, even tho I know she probably is afraid to get another ferret right now
- this might be the best help for her.  Keeping pace with and worrying over a
new baby or two will distract her  and help her heal.  It goes without saying
that no other ferret can replace Xoie, but another ferret can sure take up
that empy loss space in your life.  Best regards from another Meg
[Posted in FML issue 1239]