Sukie, Bill and others,
 
Butter definitely worked for hairballs with my cat and was the ONLY
thing she would take.  I got this info from a book, and had first-hand
experience.
 
"One of the most effective hair-ball remedies is butter, says James B.
Dalley, D.V.M., associate professor of small animal clinical sciences
at Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine.
 
"Besides being a natural lubricant, butter makes the gallbladder contract
and empty bile, a mild laxative, into the digestive tract.  This helps
speed hair balls out of the system before they become a problem."
 
I don't know if the same things that pertain to cat's and fur do to
ferrets (I imagine it would), but I know the Ferretone helped get the
plug blockage out of Rocky, as he wouldn't take anything else all day,
and nothing else came out but the plug in the puddle of oil.
 
Shron
[Posted in FML issue 4486]