>From:    Anonymous Poster <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Medical Questions-Need Advice
>1) I have a 2 1/2 year old neutered male.  For the past several months,
>the fur around his genital area has been thinning.  [...]
 
Is he putting on weight and dragging more?  Thats also the only self
stimulation we've seen in ferrets too.  This isn't uncommon.
 
>2) [...] How can I get them to eat dry food without me again.
 
Ferrets might starve themselves over not recognizing a new food but if
they get hungry they will eat something they know is food.  They got you
trained.
 
>From:    "Kristina F. Pattison" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: thinking about ferrets
>I don't have a ferret (yet?) but my husband and I do have dogs.  I show
>said dogs in obedience, agility, conformation, and we also do therapy
>visits.
 
Cool.  Ferret shows are more amateur than dog shows.  There is the silly
politics in all the ferret organizations but so far no poisoning of rivals
ferrets.  Ferrets are good choices for the therapy visits too.
 
>1.  Have any of you tried clicker-training a ferret?
 
Knowing ferrets,  I sincerely wish you good luck.  Can your clicker-train
a cat?  If so you have a shot.  Actually ferrets are probably easier than
cats but ferrets are far more independant than dogs.
 
>2.  Does anyone feed ferrets a natural, raw diet?
 
When Bob Church gets back from his trip, he's the main guy to talk to.
Yes there are folks starting in on this.  Much smaller and completely
un-organized compared to dogs and cats with accepted and published recipes.
Pinky mice figure in with ferrets.  Nice handly little "sack packs".  Sorry
to the squeamish...
 
There are also herbalist fans and that is something different.
 
A herding cocker?  Wild... Careful with hunters like poodles around
ferrets.  Well some poodles still have a hunting drive.
 
>From:    Nicole Wilson <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: shampoo
>I wrote in a letter a few days ago about a whitening shampoo for ferrets.
>Does anyone know the name of this product?
 
Any of the "blue" shampoos for white dogs or cats will do.  The Bio-Groom
brand might be introducing one just for ferrets.
 
>From:    Al Wiebe <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Ear markings
 
This is a FAQ question....
 
Many ranches tattoo the ears of their kits when they are neutered (and
descented).  The largest ferret ranch is Marshall Farms and does the two
dots in the right ear - one dot for that alter and one for the descent.
 
Other ranches do the same or a slight variation.
 
-bill
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
 
[Moderator's note: A note to those who are new here (or a reminder to
those who aren't): A series of posts from Bob Church about nutrition in
ferrets has been archived.  It's good reading -- and almost 4000 lines
long.  Ask the server ([log in to unmask]) to SEND DIET POSTS FERRET
to get a copy of your own!  BIG]
[Posted in FML issue 2450]