Please it is important to research where you are taking your ferrets for
Veterinary Care!
 
Lucy's story.
 
A couple of weeks ago, I received a call on the Ferret Hotline from a woman
who had a very sick ferret.  She had tried her Vet in New Hampshire, but
they were closed and had an emergency # for her to contact, she tried it and
got no answer.
 
Knowing that her ferret would die within hours if she didn't get her to a
Vet, she called Tufts Vet hospital in Grafton, MA.  They assured her that
she would get her ferret back once she was better.  She took Lucy down
there, signed all sorts of papers, one of which that stated all the other
animals in her house, including 3 other ferrets, another a release form that
if Lucy died, Tufts would get her body so they could autopsy her.  This
owner was so desperate, she said she would have signed anything!
 
Lucy was admitted with a temperature of 106.  They immediately started her
on IV therapy along with antibiotics.  Lucy did respond to the treatment and
seemed better after a couple of days.  (They still don't know what the
problem was) When her owner called to see how she was doing they said fine,
but there was a problem with releasing her.  She had bitten a Vet Tech.  The
owner said that she could provide them with a rabies certificate on which
she was told that they would not recognize the certificate because of the
legal status of ferrets in Mass.  and that her animal had now been SEIZED.
Well of course the owner was quite upset and let them know about it.  She
was told by them if she didn't cooperate, she would be turned in and her
other 3 ferrets would be confiscated!
 
Without the law behind her, she contacted the Ferret Hotline and asked if we
could help.  Unfortunately, there is not much any of us can do but try to
educate our Public Health Officials, and Veterinarians on the Domestic
Ferret.  The way the law reads here is if your ferret bites someone, they
will be killed and a rabies test will be done on them.  Even if HB295
passes, we will have to work on getting this changed thru Public Health.
New Hampshire just got a quarantine of 45 days and they have been helpful in
advising us on what will need to be done.
 
Evidently, the technician got the rabies shot series.  When questioned as to
why they had not had the shots before, she was told that this technician was
"new".
 
There is a big lesson to be learned here, first, Please be very careful on
who you let handle, or treat your ferret!  This is not to put down Tufts at
all!  They were just doing what the law requires of them.
 
Also, NEVER, tell anyone under any circumstances, how many or if you possess
a ferret!  EVER!  Remember, we are not legal here.  Imagine feeling that
hopeless as this poor woman did, knowing her baby was probably a lost cause,
but also scrambling around to make "arrangements" to get her other babies
out of her house, just in case.  For you FML'rs who do not live in MA or CA,
we live in fear daily of that knock on the door!  Great way to live isn't
it?
 
To end on a good note: Lucy is still alive, Tufts did give her back to her
owner after much pleading on the phone.  There are conditions, every week
she is to be evaluated from a friend of the owners who's a vet tech and the
report is to be sent into Tufts.  This is going on indefinately.
 
Sorry for such a large posting, but I feel this is an important message and
lesson to get out to people here in MA.  If you would like to help change
this stupid law, please e-mail me directly.  For updates on HB295, contact
the Ferret Hotline in Ma at (617) 224-1098.
[Posted in FML issue 1351]