Catching up from a week ago...
 
Paula Tefft wrote:
>›Could someone| post or email a list or a ferret first aid thingie?
>none of the books i've seen has a really good listing of symptoms
>and panic buttons...
 
The FAQ has a list in Part 4, section 9.1, along with some ideas about what
each one might mean.  To summarize, you should keep an eye out for lethargy,
loss of appetite, dull or glassy eyes, no poop for more than 12 or 24 hours,
swollen or painful abdomen, loss of appetite, signs of discomfort or
distress when using the litter pan, funny color or texture in the feces or
urine for more than a couple of days, lumps in or on the body or feet,
drinking and urinating excessively, hind-end weakness or funny gait, loose
skin and dull eyes, unexplained hair loss on more than just the tail,
seizures, diarrhea for more than a day, vomiting that's repetitive or has
any signs of blood, dark or tarry stools, excessive sneezing or a runny
nose, persistent wheezing or coughing, swollen vulva, unusually aggressive
behavior, tooth grinding, excessive itching or black earwax or a foul smell
around the ears.
 
Of course, not all these are things you should panic about, but they can all
be signs that something's wrong, and it would be worth going to your vet to
find out what's up.
 
Steve Bourque asked:
 
>My vet knows very little about ECE...  is there a way she can access
>info on ECE via the web??
 
The Ferret Medical FAQ on ECE is at
http://www.optics.rochester.edu:8080/users/pgreene/faq/med/green.html
 
Erika from Brazil wrote:
>Does ferrets changes hair?  She looks normal and I think there is
>another hair growing up but from a diferent color!
 
Yes, ferrets change their coats twice a year, once in the fall and once in
the spring.  The times can be a little different for ferrets kept inside,
since it depends on the day length, and artificial lights can confuse them.
Many ferrets change colors, too, looking lighter in the winter and darker in
the summer.
 
--
- 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 1690]