Almost all the surgeries our various ferrets have had to have over the last
more than 15 years during which we've had ferrets (16?, 17?  18?  -- we
don't remember) have been at ages 5 or above.  To date we have never lost a
ferret to surgery.  We use the vets at the Basking Ridge Animal Hospital
(N.J.), with Hanan Caine being our primary vet.  Among our guys he's helped
he's even operated on an 8 year old, and on a 6 year old needing multiple
simultaneous surgeries who had many birth deformities, a cystic liver,
cardiomyopathy, splenalomegaly, adrenal neoplasia, insulinomae which were
causing grande mal seizures, and other difficulties.  Ferrets require
careful post-surgical care but following the basics given by vets and
combining them with common sense goes a very, very long way.  (There's
always a bit of a luck factor, too, but it's not a primary factor for most
ferrets from what we've experienced.)
 
OH, speaking of useful things to try post-surgically: instead of a litter
box use just newspaper for a while (black and white unless you know the
colors to be vegetable dyes rather than heavy metal dyes -- can put the
colored sections inside if ferret doesn't burrow in them).  When you go
back to using a box use shredding newspaper till after the incision closes
up since it's cleaner than litter.
 
>>I JUST WANNA KNOW IF FERRETS CAN BE GAY?
>Does it matter?  Can animals be homosexual?  Sure.  It's been documented
>in quite a number of critters, including the human animal.  One great
>(non-human) example: there's a type of goose living in a very harsh
>environment which utilizes this for better protection of the gooslings --
>they wind up with two male parents and one female.  Homosexuality has been
>termed "the ultimate in ecological altruism" because most who are gay don't
>reproduce but still help maintain the social structure.  Expression of the
>inclination seems to be stronger when there are over-population pressures.
>Being homosexual, or having heterosexuals who chose to not have more than
>two biological children are the only two non-violent things that help cut
>population risks in those situations.  Others we'd all prefer to avoid are
>battle, famine, murder, suicide, and disease.  LET'S FACE FACTS: YOU LIKE
>IT WHEN YOUR FERRETS CROSS SPECIES BARRIERS BY BEING IN LOVE WITH YOU, so
>why care which ferrets they happen to fall in love with?  Heck, when I was
>a kid we had a poodle who had a firm bond with the neighbor's male cat;
>love's a flexible thing.  Bigotry isn't.
 
There are of course, two other possibilities: dominance battles being
misinterpreted, or adrenal growths causing a change in behavior.
 
Regina Harrison wrote:
>whiskers a-quiver
>it's springtime in Brighton and
>skunks are in full bloom
 
This tied with my other favorite!!!!!!  I am really enjoying reading all
of these!  Sure they are just a ripple in a pond, but haven't you enjoyed
admiring things transient?  PLEASE, keep 'em coming, ditto the limericks,
and other fun writing.
[Posted in FML issue 2636]