Thanks so much, June! I got the ferret survey! Sorry about this being so
public but I have had problems recently with losing addresses and sometimes
mail. Your's is one I lost.
Descenting is to remove the anal sacs only. There are still other, more
minor locations which create scent. In addition, if they are bathed too
OFTEN the scent increases. At times there are extra anal sacs which can
be missed. Retained reproductive tissue or certain medical problems can
increase or alter scent. Some of the breeding locations will help cover
surgery to removed missed anal glands if they exist and the papers should
give that information. A number of newbies don't know to not over-bathe
and actually create the problem that way by drying out the skin of the
ferrets so badly that their bodies try hard to churn out as much oil as
possible to keep the skin healthy (Bathe no more than every few months, use
a conditioner after the shampoo, and try those scent lowering sprays.);
some haven't learned enough beforehand about ferrets to know about the
non-removable glands in other locations. Emotional upset will also
increase scent so it will increase during introductions, in nasty weather,
or if non-gentle ways of training are used (which they should not be).
This might not pertain to your situation, but it's been a while since this
general info appeared unless I missed it recently with all the stuff going
on here, so figured that if you can't use it someone else can.
Ulrike, if you mean there is a pronounced pear shape that form OFTEN can
happen with adrenal growths, especially if advanced, so take appropriate
measures and check for other possible symptoms (not all symptoms occur with
each ferret and some remain asymptomatic till far advanced: fur loss on
body, pear shape, thin and dry skin sometimes which extra blackheads,
aggressive or sexual behavior, swollen vulvas on females, etc.) and get
info on this to your vet from places like the websites I listed in
Tuesday's FML, especially from http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html.
Yes, I know you are in Wales, but adrenal growths have shown up in Great
Britain, too. Part of the difference in British vets diagnosing the
condition less might be that it's looked for less often. (I am sure your
vet can tell ascites from fat, but for others -- if there is a "water
balloon" belly on the ferret get it to vet immediately and check for
cardiomyopathy, liver disease, and other possible causes of ascites.
Ascites may also first show as coughing.) Oh, pronounced age will often
cause this shape, too, just as it can cause balding at times -- hey, just
like in humans on both scores.
Except when old ferrets tend to get through surgery very well, and even
when old we've had good fortune. (Oh, and ask your vet to be sure to check
to check for other common problems and correct them while in there if any
are found, as long as the individual doesn't find it too much of a strain.)
In the Sept./Oct. issue of Modern Ferret there is an excellent article by
Alicia which will help you learn how to nurse ferrets after surgery. There
is also info on the AFIP site mentioned above. We've had very few bother
their own stitches, but sometimes they groom out each other's stitches so
separate the one which had surgery. Provide a clean place to go to
bathroom such as newspaper, urinary leakage diapers, urinary training pads
for puppies, etc. Do not use litter till the incisions are healed in a
closed form (about one week to one and a half weeks usually, can be longer
with an old one). Make SURE that the ferret gets enough food and water.
It is best to offer it on fingers (even if the first taste needs to be
introduced to the mouth), and then on spoon or by bowl, or to get extra
water in by adding a treat to it than it is to force feed. If you have to
force feed be very careful about it so none gets inhaled. Most do NOT need
force feeding when the people are patient enough. It helps if the ferret
sees another household ferret stealing the food or liquid, too, and singing
to the ferret often helps. Sometimes force feeding is needed; the best
tool we've found for that is a type of big children's dropper with an
accordian top rather than a squeeze top or plunger. The one we have found
at pharmacies here gives the best control of any type of syringe or dropper
we've encountered so greatly reduces the chances of causing a choking
accident or lung infection from inhaled food or liquids. Ferrets are
tough; if you can get past the initial refusal to eat or to drink which a
number have after surgery then it should be clear sailing once home. A few
have problems with the anesthesia or with the intubation; just as can
happen with some human individuals. You can learn more about the lowest
anesthesia risk from sources like http://www.ferretcentral.org. There were
a lot of ferrets lost to that early on but now it's extremely rare.
>[Moderator's note: It's worse than that: http://www.ferretcentral.com
>(as opposed to Pam's site, which ends in .ORG) takes you to a Jeffer's
>page! BIG]
Hope this doesn't end with Pam having to call the original
"orginalferretcentral.org". Used to live in town with a town with a
"Schooner Restaurant" as well as the "Original Schooner Restaurant" since
the second one filed for the name and took it away from the first. Maybe
Jeffers will change that name if asked, especially if it is pointed out
that many feel great gratitude to Pam so they wouldn't want to lose that
contingent as customers.
Anon, when you send payment again, INCLUDE THE INTEREST the person has
potentially lost to your waiting after the first one bounced. It's only
fair and it should help smooth any choppy waters. (If the person wouldn't
collect interest but would face hunger from the loss that's worse so I
still think it's fair.) Without payment (with 6 months between) I wouldn't
consider you the "owner" any more than I would consider someone who took
an item from a store without paying the owner; change that. It would have
been good if you had done so as soon as the check bounced. We all count
wrong and bounce a few times in this life. (Definitely use one of the mail
options with a card returned to you after pick-up for the same reason that
people use it for things like mortgage checks -- the date of receipt is
known.)
Sukie (not a vet, just been around ferrets for a very, very long time)
[Posted in FML issue 2819]
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