Debbie said:
>How or what do you use as a scale for determining stress and much how
>stress a ferret goes thru?  Versus the symptoms of stress which could
>mean a medical condition?
 
First and foremost, if I gave the impression that I run a shelter then I
apologize.  I only help with our local club sponsored shelter, and have to
that end helped with rescues locally and across the state in caring for,
and helping to rehome those ferrets who we could not get into the shelter.
I have from time to time been a temporary waystation, but I am not a
shelter.  I thought I made it clear that I was stating the policies made
at the shelter, and I did not mean to imply that I do not run the shelter.
While it's true that a shelter operator will have seen many cases of stress
induced illnesses, just as many private owners will have the same
experiences, especially those who help out with rescues on their own time.
 
I honestly don't know what kind of answer you're looking for.  It almost
seems as if you're questioning if ferrets actually get stressed out and are
arguing that any symptoms that ferrets display are purely medical in nature
due to a physical problem, not one caused by emotional effects.  Not being
a ferret myself, I cannot speak for how they feel other than what I have
observed.  I can say as a human with a somewhat sensitive system, that when
I myself am thrust into a new situation I often have anxieties that can
manifest themselves as physical symptoms.  Examples being when you're
nervous you can have sweaty palms, increased heart rate, etc.  Also the
correlations between things like emotional stress and tension, heart attack
and high blood pressure are very real.  There is no denying that emotional
worries and stresses manifest themselves on the body, and animalas are no
different in this regard.
 
I would suggest you go to this shelter that you spoke of before, and ask
to observe the animals there and speak perhaps with that shelter operator.
Observe your own ferrets when they are dealing with changes such as a new
ferret in the household, the loss of member of the business, changes in
food and environment.  Then you yourself can see first hand what it is
you're looking for.  Talk to a breeder and discuss emotional changes in
pregnant jills, especially when they suffer a false pregnancy or when their
babies are old enough to be taken from the mother.
 
As to the books you've cited, I don't own any of them myself though I have
looked through most of them.  I have read James Mckay's book, but he is an
English author and the book deals more with the mindset of ferrets used for
rabbiting and isn't something I could relate to with my own ferrets.  It
was an interesting read, but I don't foresee allowing my ferret to eat road
kill (even fresh) anytime soon.
 
The book that I have read that has the most to say about ferret behaviour
is "The Furo Book of Ferrets".  You might try that and "A Tao Full of
Detours" by Fara Shimbo.  Both are available through FerretWare.
 
As to the Quesenbery book, it is a medical reference and it would seem
highly unlikely to me that there are no references in there to stress being
a factor, especially in intestinal problems.  While I haven't gone through
"Biology and Diseases of the Ferret" by James Fox lately, I know there is
some discussion in it about ferret behaviour.
 
I am sure there is more than enough information documented about stress in
the FML archives, and perhaps sitting down and doing some research on your
own my give you the answers you're looking for.
 
Again, apologies for the confusion.  I am just a helper elf, not Santa
himself.
 
Robynn McCarthy
[Posted in FML issue 2962]