Thanks, everybody.  I got so many replies about my Tank's wheezing problem
that I want to thank everyone collectively this way, because it'd take me
all day just to make the individual replies!  I've gotten all kinds of good
advice, stories to compare my experience to, and good facts to consider.
 
As of this morning, I still have Tank isolated in a seperate cage in a
seperate room, but actually he seems just fine now.  The last wheeze I
heard out of him was a tiny bit yesterday morning, and no symptoms since
then.  His breathing sounds normal, his eating and pooping is normal, and
he never actually acted sick at all.  My family wanted me to let him out
last night, but I insisted on keeping him isolated for another day, just in
case-- I want to be as sure as I can that he's not contagious.  I'll
probably let him out tonight if he's still in good shape when I get home.
I am giving him the last half of a bottle of veterinary amoxicillin I
happen to have, just in case; my cat was given it recently for a urinary
tract infection, but it wasn't working and so he was switched to a
different medication.  But generally speaking, I am very very happy that
Tank seems fine now.
 
Mr. Moogie, on the other hand, seems to have lost again all the slim
progress we'd made on fattening him up, now that the other ferrets are
here.  We've taken to leaving him uncaged at night again for the last
couple of nights, as we used to before the new family came, and I'm trying
to give him as many snacks as I can, but he's still skin and bones.
Tonight I plan on buying some Sustacal to make Duck Soup, and probably also
some heavy whipping cream.  He's so picky, he won't eat hardly anything at
all that you offer him, even things other ferrets seem to enjoy.  He STILL
only gets really animated if he smells dog food *sigh*.  The only things he
likes are the two worst things for him, dog food and sugar.  He MUST have
been raised on them, which would explain why he's so skinny and scruffy
looking compared to every other ferret I've ever seen.  I just think he was
nutritionally deprived growing up, and that's why he developed poorly.  But
he's the sweetest ferret I've ever seen, still sleeps with me and follows
me everywhere like a dog, and I'm getting sweet kisses from him again.
He's my frail little baby.
 
The girls are, of course, great... and feisty... last night I heard mighty
squealing while they were out playing and came running to see Flower
dragging Pandora across the floor by the throat.  They never draw blood,
though.  The girls are into EVERYTHING!  But they're so cute!
 
Vickie (Let's see, what can I worry about next?)
Moogie the Rainbow (You know I'll chew my way into that bag if you don't
                    let me in it)
Tank (I'm getting REALLY TIRED of this cage, now)
Flower (I'm going to SQUUEEEEZE myself through this little hole, now)
Pandora (Who can I jump on next???)
Subatai the kitty (Okay, what the HELL was that noise???)
Ogre the dog (For pity's sake, LET ME SLEEP damn you!!!)
[Posted in FML issue 2434]