John Hines,
Thank you for teaching us about the kidney failure treatments.  We are
keeping a hard copy of this and further updates inside one of the vet text
books in case we ever have one with that problem again.  (Spot was caught
late in his years ago, because his symptoms weren't clear when he was first
being treated, he was too weak for repeated tests, and the lab lost his
tests too long to get reliable readings.)
 
It always means a lot to us when people advance ferret medical care and
share those advances with us all to help as many ferrets as possible.
 
BTW, are you related to Dale from Nebraska?
 
Meghan, thanks for reminding people about the heat.  When it's hot and a
ferret has trouble waking, or in semi-conscious, or otherwise affected DO
respond fast before hyperthermia can kill.  Cool them slowly just as you
would warm slowly for hypothermia.  A cool tub of water can save a life.
 
Sherry, thanks for pointing out that those whose ferret has reacted to
Fervac might try Galaxy, and those who reacted to Galaxy might try Fervac.
That's what I meant by "two types" but you said it so much better.
 
BIG, thanks much for your good judgement, Bill!
 
Thanks, also, to Lisette, for the important lead warning .  We used to use
testing kits on things before going to non-ceramics for them.  Many years
ago there also used to also be reports of ferrets with zinc poisoning from
too much of that leeching from galvanized dishes.  Oh, one thing that is
often HIGH in lead: ashtrays.  They are made that way (high lead content
since it is heavy) to be too heavy to tip as a fire-prevention aspect, but
they are to be avoided for the same reason as pet dishes.
 
Remember Lissette's words: "P.S.  Main signs of lead poisoning in ferrets
Signs of lead poisoning:Weight loss, loss of appetite, vomiting, and
lethargy.  If your ferrets have been drinking from the heavy ceramic
white dish with black figures of ferrets and rabbits and they have these
symptoms, see a vet right away and have a blood test done." There are many
possible causes of general symptoms like lethargy, ditto loss of appetite,
ditto rear leg weakness, etc.  Vets and tests are essential.
 
Oh, my comments on our 8 year old Meeteetse yesterday were my own
speculations after many, many years of living with ferrets; could be wrong,
and hope she proves me wrong, but no one has large hopes at this point and
I was very down about it.  Our vets are trying very hard and so are we in
conjunction with them to keep her having quality time as much as possible
for as long as possible before she needs that final gift.  It's always so
important to TRY for the sake of the individual ferrets, and in case
anything is found which might help other ferrets (like John is doing).
So many things are now treatable, often in refined ways for specific
individual situations to give the best quantity of quality time when
careful testing and treating are done, but Steve and I well recall when
most of the things now treated had nothing that could be done for them, --
zip, nada.  It's not that long ago.  Can't help but feel strongly that
people need to at least TRY, with careful vet care, when ferrets are ill,
knowing what it has been like in the past.  And can't help but thank John
and those special people like him who help advance medical care for the
sake of the ferrets.
 
I wrote:
>Even after us having decades with ferrets it's not unusual to have
>situations which simply can NOT be clear without testing; that's just a
>fact of life.
 
Opps, left out the word "almost" before "decades": about 18 years.
[Posted in FML issue 3167]