Veterinary texts have dosing info in them. Ferrets should never be
treated without a vet and the vets should not try treating ferrets
without learning about them, which means having multiple veterinary
texts right at hand for any species. Even Amazon sells some.

The first is that if a pill is not marked with an indentation for
splitting that it can NOT be split safely because the medication is
not evenly distributed but instead must be compounded with the right
kinds of matrices for the given medications, but there is much more
and it is readily available in conveniently searchable archives such as:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
and
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
Vets having and studying the veterinary texts for the specific species
is really the BEGINNING part of providing care. After that the texts
are referred to as needed.

Not all medications are the right medications for every illness, and a
shotgun approach can be a mistake.

Here are some past posts on medications and I'll just snarf from my own
so as to avoid violating the copyrights of others but their posts can
be found by all, too:

>Date: Thu, 08 Feb 2007 19:46:48 -0000
>
>Yes, many medications had temperature ranges they can't deal with.
>According to the directions on some of the packing material used for
>compounded meds and our own 3 month mailed meds, this is why such
>packs are heated or frozen (depending on the individual med) by
>mailing pharmacies to prevent the medication from being destroyed by
>temperature extremes. Some can deal with higher or lower temperatures
>for short periods of time. At one point we actually had to adjust the
>temperature of our home refrigerator to suit the narrow storage range
>of a human med because our fridge was a bit too cool.
>
>It is still possible with some meds to provide them in warmed food
>safely if
>1. they can deal with higher temps for short periods while diluted
>by another item or
>2. if a thermometer is used to make sure that the temperature does not
>exceed the range found to be acceptable for the med WHEN IT IS LOOKED
>UP (We personally use a Raytek Minitemp which we have had for years
>and find o be very accurate.)
>
>BTW, heat the food, and make sure that the temp is in a safe range for
>a med which can be given in food before adding med. Don't add the med
>and then heat it.
>
>Always let your vet know how you are giving a med. Vets are not
>pharmacists so won't have that sort of info on their fingertips but
>if the technique weakens the med rather than altering it in a worse
>way the vet can adjust dosing. Also, always let your vet know what
>supplements and herbals are used -- again same point about overload
>of info for any professional to have on one's fingertips but something
>may ring bells that say, "Hey, look this up for medical or health
>conflicts." If physicians had to learn as many species as vets do I
>think there would be fewer physicians ;-) So, don't expect them to
>also be expert in other professions like pharmacology or
>pharmacognosy. Luckily, reference books and the internet are great for
>looking up medications. Use places like this:
>
>http://www.medicinenet.com/medications/article.htm
>
>It is also important for people to find out which meds can be given
>with water (Not all can.), which can be given with fats/oils (Not all
>can.), which can be exposed to saliva (Not all can.), which can be
>given with certain minerals (Not all can.), which can be left exposed
>to light (Not all can.), which solid ones can be divided safely with
>just a cut (pills or caplets that have a dividing line indented in
>them) vs, those which must be crushed and mixed due to active
>ingredients not being evenly distributed, etc.
...
>Just some general info:
>
>There is NOT one size all to fit how to handle meds so it is always
>good to ask a vet or -- better yet since it is their specialty -- the
>pharmacist when you ge the meds as prescriptions what NOT to do.
>
>For example some meds can NOT be given with water or exposed to saliva
>without reducing their effectiveness. Other meds can NOT be given with
>oils for the same reasons. Some foods (like grapefruit juice which
>increases the effects of many meds, milk when calcium affects some
>meds,high iron content foods when that affects some meds, etc.),
>supplements, herbs, or other meds (like Carafate for a number of meds)
>can not be given at the same time as some meds. In fact, some just
>plain need to be avoided at any time when certain meds are taken.
>
>Some meds should never be refrigerated (actually quite a number of
>them); others need to be refrigerated.
>
>Some need to be protected from heat.
>
>Some need to be shielded from light.
>
>Some need protection from humidity.
>
>Some (like Carafate caplets though I prefer the pediatric liquid
>version) are make with capillaries to soak up fluid so should not
>be crushed.
>
>If a pill is not scored then in manufacture there are NOT measures
>taken to be sure the med is evenly distributed throughout. So, pills
>which are scored can be cut with confidence that the med is well
>enough distributed, but the ones which are not scored need to be
>crushed, dissolved, or otherwise broken up extremely well (depending
>on what the pharmacist says about the med) then mixed up well, then
>carefully divided. If the amount is small see if you can buy some
>graduated vials to use and a tiny chemical spatula is a marvel in
>those situations.
>
>In saying these things I am just echoing the past posts of some
>current and past members who were or are pharmacists or
>pharmacological researchers, though in some cases i also had heard
>these things from other experts. You can find such posts in the FHL
>Archives.

>Date: Sun, 10 Jul 2005 17:59:57 +0100 (BST)
>
>http://www.baytril.com/
>
>Some meds simply should not be given with food, or with certain types
>of food, such as ones high in certain minerals.
>
>Some meds should not be exposed to water or saliva (When these are in
>pill form they are usually well coated so it pays to check with a
>pharmacist to make usre those pills can be exposed to oils/fats like
>Ferretone or Nutrical to coat them and shield them till they reach the
>stomach.
>
>Some meds had a cutting line and they can be safely cut with assurance
>that the meds are evenly spread throughout.
>
>Meds without a cutting line need to be crushed and then very well
>mixed up, and then divided.
>
>Some meds need to be stored in refrigeration, but that is not optimal
>for others.
>
>Some need to be protected from light.
>
>A number of meds need to be protected from excess heat or excess
>humidity.
>
>With some meds heavy exercise needs to be avoided, and others can
>create wooziness.
>
>The thing to do is to always ask the prescribing vet, or the pharmacy
>you use for the meds.
>
>It can not and should not be assumed that what is right for one med
>is automatically right for others.

[Posted in FML 6710]