Hi all
 
Some people have written about how they got excema once they got ferrets.
(Okay, I know I'm always a bit behind.)  I've had the same problem.  I've
never had allergies or anything like that but then I got my first ferret
Jilly, I bred her soon after I got her and she became so attached and
enjoyed laying on my lap, licking my neck and face for hours on end and soon
afterwards I broke out in excema, all over my neck and wrists.  It was so
itchy that I couldn't sleep sometimes.  The doctor gave me a cortisone cream
and that helped really well but I couldn't take it twice every day all year
round, another cream I got from the doctor was very greasy and I couldn't
bear this one so I had a look in the chemist to fine a cream that might help
me, I was willing to try out any cream (I did try out about 5 at least.)
Then I came across a cream called "Vaseline Intensive Care", it's a
hypo-allergenic lotion enriched with lipids.  First I used the cortisone
cream in the morning and the Vaseline lotion in the evening and soon didn't
need the cortisone cream anymore.  I also took Starflower Oil capsules as
the GLA is supposed to be good for skin and from then on I had no excema
outbreaks anymore.  I don't know if the excema vanishing coincided with me
starting to use the Vaseline lotion or whether the lotion really did clear
it up but it certainly won't hurt trying it out if you've got excema.
 
Also about the breeding age, I think someone asked whetehr he can start
breeding a female of 10-12 weeks.  As far as I know females reach puberty at
5-9 months.  Though I still think it's best to wait until the female is a
year old.
 
I also wanted to ask whether there are any British or German FML'ers out
there who'd like to write to me to chat about ferrets?
 
And last not least my jill Jilly isn't looking her best, she's lost a lot of
hairs and is rather tired all the time and never wants to come out of the
cage and play.  She's been in season but only for a week or two and came out
after being bred with a vasectomised hob.  She's not anaemic (sp?) as her
gums and lips are red but her behaviour scares me a little.  Any suggestions
what might be wrong with her?  Also can anybody give me a duck soup recipe
with British ingredients?  E.g. I don't know what Sustical is.
 
Anyway, take care everybody, hugs to all the ferrets out there!
 
Ulrike
--
Ulrike Hassold
[Posted in FML issue 1679]