First, I absolutely think Dr. Williams should be allowed to post more than
3X daily, especially since he's not doing that *every* day.  His info is
invaluable.  I have copied a couple posts already and passed them on to my
vet.  We should be cautious about a few things, though.  People need to
know that his advice does not take the place of a vet's visit -- his info
should be shared with your vet, not used "instead of".  Also, we need to be
careful not to burn him out with too many questions.  He's doing us a favor
by being here, and I don't think we should use him to replace a trip to our
own vet.
 
My Seamus and Kiwi had their rabies shots today (no reactions - yea!).  The
vet was surprised to find some tartar and even a touch of gingivitis in
both.  I think it's my fault -- we've gotten in the habit of giving them
the soft Pounce treats quite often.  Even before the vet visit, I started
backing off of the Pounce and using kibble instead.  My vet says she rarely
sees plaque in ferrets, and wasn't sure whether we should use dog or cat
toothpaste.  I'll see her again on Monday with the dog, so she asked me to
check with other ferret owners to see how you handle tooth care.  She'll be
checking the vet sites.  Any advice would be appreciated.
 
She also suggested heartworm medicine for the ferrets.  Our area is very
prone to heartworms, but I'd never heard of giving the meds to ferrets.
She said they had seen some ferrets who had died from heart worms, and it
was very sudden with few symptoms.  She has asked me to give half of the
smallest heartworm tablets (for cats under 5 lbs.) once a month.  Any one
else have experience with this?
 
Thanks -
Joanne
 
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 Age and treachery will triumph over youth and skill.
[Posted in FML issue 3198]