First, I guess, regarding the vet's ferret knowledge: Melatonin therapy
and even bi-lateral adrenal surgery, are relatively new treatments when
compared to the "average" vet's practice.  It's not at all surprising he
is not familiar with them.  Ferrets make up a very small percentage of
the average vet's clientele and the veterinary "updates" the average vet
receives through brochures, pharmaceutatical salesmen, symposiums, etc.
deal with the average vet's usual practice, dogs & cats.  The vets simply
have no way of knowing there have been breakthroughs and the vet simply
can not afford to spend a disproportionate amount of his research time
digging for that new knowledge when it is a minute fraction of his
practice and income.  His practice feeds his family, he is human, he
has very human priorities.
 
The solution to this dilemma, is make a creditable, knowledgeable, easily
accessible source available to him.  Put him in contact with a vet who
IS on the cutting edge of ferret medicine.  Give him the ferret expert's
contact information, address & phone numbers, and a review of the ferret
expert's current and past work and evidence of his credibility, so that
your vet doesn't have to worry that you are asking him to consult with
some quack.
 
A good vet will welcome the opportunity to consult and quickly "catch up"
in his field if he sees that the source of new information is creditable.
 
On the vomiting, a few things to consider:
Had Farty just awakened prior to being put out to play when he began to
vomit, and how long had he been asleep?
 
Weasie: if honey seemed to "fix" her near coma, my thought is that she
most likely DOES has insulinoma and might require medication to maintain
adequate glucose levels until surgery can be done.  The additional soup
2-3 times a day is good, and should be continued, but may not be enough
to maintain adequate glucose levels.
 
Nausea/vomiting/mouthpawing are some of the symptoms of insulinoma.
Nausea occurs when glucose levels are low.  Glucose levels are lowest
when the ferret has not eaten lately; as in just after waking up.
Ferrets with insulinoma tend to sleep more, longer, and deeper, so they
don't wake up to get a "mid-nap" snack to keep that fast-lane metabolism
of theirs going.  And a ferret with a nauseous tummy usually doesn't want
to eat, or postpones eating, glucose drops even lower, and a vicious
cycle begins.
 
I feel, from the information you provided, that vomiting is less likely
to be a result of the flooring project, unless there is a glue (vinyl or
ceramic tile?) with an odor that could be upsetting their stomachs, in
addition to Weasie's possible condition.  Bear in mind a ferret's sense
of smell is incredibly more acute than our own, and what we can't smell
at all might still be a problem to them.
 
Are you using a different floor cleaning product for your new floor
that leaves a residual odor?  Pine-Sol, for instance, has an oil-based
ingredient that remains on the flooring even after rinsing.  If it's oil,
it requires soap to remove... just like your dishes in the kitchen sink.
Most floor cleaners, even those that say no rinsing required, should be
rinsed for use by ferrets and human infants.  This most definitely
includes cleaners like Mr. Clean and Wet Jet.
 
I "saw" the lock ring off of a Wet Jet bottle using a serrated blade
steak knife & rinse & refill the bottle with water for "quickie"
cleanups.  Another bottle is refilled with "Out" spray, a pet safe odor
eliminating (enzyme) product.  The Wet Jet chemical is reserved for
cleaning day when the ferrets are not allowed on the floor until it's
cleaned, rinsed and dry.  (No, I do NOT use chemical cleaners to mop
the ferret shelter floor everyday, they LIKE their ferrety smell trails
very much, thank you.  They would, in fact, prefer that I leave their
"markers" by barriers as well, but I compromise with my Wet Jet water
quickie cleanup... they can still smell it, but I can't.)
 
I'm in the process of putting down ceramic tile flooring, moving ferrets
from one section of the house to another as well.  I did have to close
off the ferrets from the rest of the house when I used a heavy
concentration of bleach to sanitize the concrete (I was ready to leave
the house, myself), but other than bleach, the only chemical with a
potentially disruptive odor was the grout sealer.  I returned ferrets to
the new flooring after giving the grout sealer 3 days to dry, and have
not seen any unusual problems.
 
(I'm loving the ceramic tile as ferret room flooring, by the way, and
wish I'd done it years ago.)
 
Debi Christy
Ferrets First Foster Home
www.ferrets1st.com
[Posted in FML issue 5040]