Hello Ferret Lovers:
 
This is in reply to Margo who posted on January 24th an article regarding
the pet store owner who doesn't seem to think that soft rubber balls are
hazardous to ferrets.  Margo, I hope this helps.  :) Here is some
information she may find interesting: I had a very unfortunate incident
about two years ago that turned out fine but could have been disastrous.  I
noticed that my sweetheart (my ferret) didn't seem well, but otherwise
playful, etc (one always knows when their pet is just "not herself".  Time
passed (over a week, trips to the vet) and I knew that something was
definitely wrong even though the vet could find nothing.  Later that day I
rushed her back to vet, saying there is something wrong, my ferret is ill.
Discussions followed and we concluded that perhaps this little ferret had
ingested something that was causing an intestinal obstruction!  They wanted
to keep her overnight but I insisted on caring for her myself.  From about
four p.m.  and every hour afterwards I was forcing Katy to drink water
approximately every hour, with the veterinarians approval.  She was weak and
lethargic and barely alive at midnight.  I prayed and cried and continued to
get up hourly to give her water until about four in the morning when she
passed "something" large.  Poor little ferret.  She was weak and I was so
hopeful that the worst was over for her.  At seven in the morning this
little baby was lucid and by three or so in the afternoon she was much
stronger.  She is today a bouncing, dooking and dancing going concern that I
love totally.
 
What the little ferret passed was a big piece of a soft rubber ball which
she had discovered (left by a visiting child and unnoticed by me) and taken
a bite out of.  We found the offending ball in her "stash" with the piece
missing.  I cringe when I think of the pain this little ferret must have
endured.  Soft rubber balls are not ferret toys - ferrets love those things,
but ingestion of pieces of soft rubber ball can be extremely harmful to a
ferret!  Please, please don't sell them as ferret toys, please don't buy
them as ferret toys!
 
Sincerely,
Jean
[Posted in FML issue 1460]