Christian Meisch wrote:
>What do I do for ferret colds?  ... Runny nose, heavy breathing while
>resting, fever (103.8), and kindof slugish.
 
That's a borderline fever; normal is 101-103 F.  Generally speaking, ferret
cold care is a lot like human cold care: plenty of rest and fluids,
specially tempting foods (Duck Soup or meat baby food, perhaps) if he isn't
weating well, a visit to the vet if things look particularly bad.  Dr. Susan
Brown has written, " The antihistamine product Chlor Trimeton may be used at
1/4 tablet 2 times daily."
 
Rebecca Katlin Coleman asked:
>I live in a FFZ so I am wondering do I go to a dentist or a vet for the
>teeth cleaning.
 
Have a vet clean the teeth under anaesthesia once, then brush them yourself
with an enzymatic cat toothpaste a couple of times a week.  Using a pointy
scraper isn't really necessary; just get a cat toothbrush (regular or finger
kind) and paste from a pet store.  Go back to the vet for another full
cleaning when the teeth look like they need it, but hopefully the brushing
will delay that.
 
I've just started doing this myself, so I'm still not sure how to get the
ferret to hold still.  Both mine just love the malt-flavored toothpaste and
want to lick it rather than letting me brush.
 
- Pam Greene
Ferret Central <http://www.optics.rochester.edu:8080/users/pgreene/>
            or send INDEX FERRET in email to <[log in to unmask]>
[Posted in FML issue 1809]