Hi again!
 
I finally got a chance to sit and down and look through these great mags
today.  I never bought Natural Pet before, but stick a ferret on the cover
and I'll buy anything!  It was worth it!  Dr. Nancy Scanlan(from CA) wrote a
very informative and somewhat amusing article on basic ferret care, and also
offered several holistic remedies to help with various ferret ailments.
I'll be happy to respond to e-mails for specifics, but I don't want infringe
on the copyrighting by quoting that info.  Here are a few that I thought
were rather interesting......
 
Ear mites: Tea tree oil or a combo of olive oil and almond oil followed
          by a rue(a what??!!<G>)and witch hazel extract mixture.
Ringworm: betadine or betadine scrub
Respiratory infections: mild coughing and sneezing can be treated with
          ester C(a buffered vit. C)in fruit juice.
ECE: if not vomitting, arsenica alba can help diarrhea or use echinacea
          or colloidal silver.
Arthritis: vit E, dlphenylalanine, glucosamine and ester C.
 
Another section discusses the attributes of the Oregon Grape root.  This
stuff has the makings of a wonder drug!  It says it has antibacterial
properties which have been shown to be more effective than some antibiotics,
including chloramphenicol, and can be used effectively against E.  coli,
Giardia, ear, eye and UT infections.  The berberine it contains is also
believed to slightly elevate blood sugar levels in hypoglycemic
animals(Insulinoma!).  It also can be used in conjunction with echinacea for
various infections, as a bitter tonic, and to stimulate liver function.
 
DISCLAIMER:
I have absolutely no experience with holistic vet medicine and merely
thought I'd bring some interesting info to the readers of the FML.  I
certainly think it would be wise to consult with a vet, especially one with
holistic experience, before trying any of these on our fuzzies.
 
Unfortunately, Dr. Scanlan apparently used some of those outdated books
which claim that ferrets were originally tamed by the Egyptians!  Here we go
again!<G> Anyway, it was very nicely written and she referred to ferret
owners as being a "devoted bunch, that have developed their own vocabulary
and lifestyles to accommodate their fun-loving pets." Hee-hee!  Yeah, I
guess that description fits!!!  My poor sofa has been ferret-proofed on the
sides and the bottom, and my living room looks like I live with small
children 'cause their toys are everywhere!!!  <GGG> I'm not quite sure how
to take one point she made, though, about the ferret world not being
strongly connected to the holistic world yet, and that ferrets are still
being vaccinated.  Well, hey.... in light of the adverse reactions, if she
would like to make another suggestion that would prevent my ferrets from
dying of distemper..... ;^/
 
THE FERRETS USA 1997 issue is out and I'm very proud to see several names
from the FML as the authors of various articles.  Way to go, to....Pam
Grant, Tricia Curtis, Dick Bossart, Mary Van Dahm, and Jeanne Carley!!!
(Applause!!!) One thing that bothered me...I don't know where the magazine
got its pictures from, but all of their nails(the ferrets....not the
people!<VBG>)were pretty long and it made me want to run for my nail
clippers!<GG> Check out the fuzzies on pages 52 and 87 and you'll know what
I mean!  I hope they pay more attention to that detail next year.  Other
than that, the pix are really great and I especially loved the one of the
ferret "jailbird" in his black and white stripes!  It was just too cute!!!!!
 
Well....that's all for now.
 
Dodie Newcomb and the Frenzied, but still Fabulous Five
 
Gidget, Molly, Teddy, Fozzie and Angel(aka "Betsy Wetsy")<GGG>
[Posted in FML issue 1745]