We have a 5-month-old male sable/blaze mix, who's been with us since just
before last Christmas.  He's a Marshall Farms ferret and his name is Benito.
 
A few days, while petting him, I noticed a small (smaller than a pea) bump
on his neck, just above his left shoulder blade.  I've made an appointment
at the vet to have it checked out, but decided to post about it anyway,
since I have no idea what it could be.  There are no lesions or other skin
injuries visible directly above the bump.  It's hard to tell whether it
causes him pain or discomfort to put pressure on the bump, since he's so
young and squirms a lot, no matter what we do (unless he's deeply asleep).
 
So far, he's had three shots, the intital shots they get at MF or the pet
store, a booster distemper in early January and a rabies shot about two
weeks ago.
 
The reason I think the bump might be related to the shots is because it is
in the exact some area that I've seen the vet administer the shots.  Could
the bump be scar tissue from the vaccinations?
 
Has anybody had this problem with their ferrets?  Any suggestions or
comments are welcome.
 
About sugar gliders: the store where we got Benito, a small place called
"Just Ferrets & Exotics" in Ft. Mojave, AZ (just across the border from
Needles, CA) also sold sugar gliders.  First time I ever saw one.  They are
absolutely amazing.  Very small (fit into the palm of your hand) and
striking coloration, with the black and white striped tail and the face the
most remarkable features.  The store advertised sugar gliders and when I
didn't see any animals in the store that fit the description, I asked the
owner if I could see one.  She said "sure" and pulled one out of her bra!
Apparently, they like to bond to one person and the one we saw was entirely
content to spend most of its time in the owner's bra, only coming out to eat
and go to the bathroom.
 
Whether or not they make interesting pets, I don't really know.  Nor do I
know if they get along well with other animals.  My guess is they are not
the most social of animals, but they sure are attention getters.
 
You can email me, if you want the store's phone # or directions (we've even
found a way into AZ and back into CA that avoids all agricultural and
immigration checkpoints, even though sugar gliders may not be illegal in CA)
 
Claudia & Brad
with Pixel & Benito
in Los Angeles
[Posted in FML issue 1837]