>From:    Shawna Kaufman <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Descenting
>My question is this: Does descenting lessen a ferret's odour IN *ANY*
>WAY?  Many people have told me that the answer is no, that technically the
>surgery should make absolutely no difference.
 
Descenting does affect the smell of a ferret but minimally.  The glands
removed are the anal musk glands.  It changes the smell of the feces but not
to make it smell good.  The most noticible effect is the prevention of the
occaisional spraying ferrets that are highly agitated do.  The important
surgery for scent reduction is castration/spaying.  There is much more smell
from the hormonally charged ferrets during breeding season.  We do not
recommend descenting except in medical or behavorial problems.  Most of our
are not descented I doubt many people could pick which are which except by
tatoos.
 
>From:    "Margaret Zick (and Stan, Ollie and Jezebel)" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: ece comments
>I have to wonder, if I can pull Stan through with no formal medical
>training, just a lot of care and patience, if some of these young deaths
>are due to a lack of enough care.
 
The young ones I mentioned belong to perhaps the most dedicated ferret owner
I know.  It was certainly not a lack of care.  But the weakened state makes
ferrets more vunerable to other diseases.
 
I still strongly disagree with purposeful exposure.  Shelters have more
problems - I know this first hand.  We quarantine all new animals and not
just because of ECE.  We have not had new outbreaks nor have we had animals
get sick after exposure to our animals.  It is possible to run a shelter and
not be a disease spreader - but we admit luck is part of it.  Not all
shelters that have had ECE purposely expose new ferrets to the disease.  It
is the exposure that seems more for the ferret owners convinience that
really bothers me.  We go to shows - many many shows.  We run a shelter.  We
do not get ferrets exposed to disease because we "can't" eliminate it.  We
do not get ferrets exposed to disease because we are tired of total
isolation because although that helps it isn't completely necessary to
reduce the risk to a reasonable level.
 
>From:    Bob Church <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Mo' Bob, White Fang, and ECE
>Second, I've suffered serious and life-threatening bowel problems.  They
>are very painful, and even good days can be quite distressing.
 
This sounds like a description of a problem we've become way too intimately
aware of.  Part of the reason we don't want to let ferrets have their bowels
savaged is first hand knowledge of the pain.
 
I strongly suspect that the severe breeding problems in portions of this
country might be tied to ECE.  If the intestines are damaged they won't work
as well.  If they don't work as well it is conceivable that the jills can't
get enough nutrition to sustain pregnancies.  More false litters.  More
nursing problems.  I know this is only conjecture.
 
>From:    Tracy Tunnison <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Nippy vs. biter, GCFA show
>I really like the idea of pins.  Wasn't someone working on that a
>while back?  I'd be proud to show I'm a subscriber!
 
Well BIG delayed us on pins.  We had some people say they wanted pins but
we've decided to not do them without BIG's specific permission.
 
>I plan on only letting the judges handle the show ferrets (I assume
>they disinfect between ferrets)
 
Yes.  Different shows use different disinfectants.  I posted a while back
about the specifics that AFA uses.  Don't know what GCFA uses off-hand.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
 
[Moderator's note: Lots of people had ideas for pins - some were even kind
enough to submit drawings.  True though - I didn't decide on a design.  The
stickers are a practical interim measure.  Or you one certainly grab a white
sticker or Post-it(tm) note and write FML on it and wear that.  BIG]
[Posted in FML issue 1675]