REQUEST FOR LETTERS
 
Hello all
 
I wish I had better news to report, but I'm afraid that I have yet another
disheartening, sensationalist news article to which we in the ferret
community should respond.
 
The New Castle News reported a story entitled "Policing Pets" in the Monday,
February 23rd edition of their journal.
 
A Dr. Howard Eckstein, a pediatrician from a local hospital served as the
local authority who warned that ferrets are the worst of the pet biters,
saying that they attack children's faces.  He even went so far as to say
that reports of "horrible facial lacerations" exist.  To make matters worse,
Dr. Eckstein went on to state that no effective rabies vaccination exists
for ferrets and that ferrets are rabies carriers.
 
I will be writing a polite, well-informed letter to send to both the New
Castle News and Dr. Eckstein, and I urge you to do the same.  I will also be
sending him a copy of the 1998 Rabies Control Compendium (no need to
duplicate that effort).  Please be sure to keep your comments unemotional
and rational.  It does our effort no good to appear fanatical.
 
Consider asking the doctor for his report sources and/or documentation of
these "horrible lacerations." You might include a statement to the effect
that such behavior would be extremely atypical in ferrets, short of
situations of drastic child and animal neglect.  Explain that we in the
ferret community encourage responsible pet ownership, and never recommend
that any animal remain unsupervised with any child for the safety of both
the child _and_ the animal.
 
Consider also informing both the News and the doctor that RM IMRAB 3, Rhone
Merieux, Inc.  License No. 298, Merial Inc. is officially recommended for
use in ferrets.  (A 1ml dosage is to be administered subcutaneously at three
months of age and annually thereafter.) This rabies vaccine has been USDA
approved for use in ferrets since 1990.  You may also want to mention that
ferrets are not high risk animals with regard to being rabies carriers.
 
Send your letters to:
 
Dr. Howard Eckstein, M.D., F.A.A.P.
St. Francis Medical Offices
3212 Wilmington Rd., Suite 20
New Castle, PA  16105
412-654-3010 (phone)
412-654-3037 (fax)
 
and
 
New Castle News
27 N. Mercer St.
New Castle, PA  16101
412-654-6651 (phone)
412-654-9593 (fax)
 
If you need any other information, please feel free to contact me at
[log in to unmask] or 724-643-9494 (eve).
 
Thanks,
Gina Hart/Sage Ferrets
[log in to unmask] (home-preferred) or [log in to unmask] (work)
[Posted in FML issue 2229]