I think its great to talk about this.  Alicia thank you so much for such
an objective and direct post.  How you were able to commit so much time to
us with such a great post when you are going through so much, I have no
earthly idea.  Danee, I must say that I first thought I disagreed with
you about not having a rule that prohibits the showing of an ADV negative
ferret from an ADV positive home.  I'm so very glad you spoke up.  Now I'm
rethinking the whole thing (whether to enforce a rule in AFA sactioned
shows that prohibits the showing of ferrets from ADV positive homes).  I
don't like it.  Not at all.  I want to have that rule.  But I"m left with
my shoulders sagging, and realizing that you are probably most correct in
everything that you said that could happen in having such a rule.  Like
you said,,,if only in a perfect world...
 
How do other animal people deal with contagious disease with showing?  I'd
like to know.  When I was young, horse people were very strict and used
hardline approaches... and it seemed to really work with showing.  But we
didn't have such an evasive, and dangerous disease as ADV to contend with
that I remember except for maybe Coggins?  It seemed like when a disease
came along, there were pretty darn good tests to ID them and right away.
So we always had a more clear picture of the situation so we could deal
with it effectively.  What about dog and cat people?  Do they have
anything similar that they must deal with at shows?  What do they do?
What are their rules and what were their effects?  Has euthansia been an
option that has helped any other breed or species from being "knocked out"
by a disease besides Foot and Mouth Disease in England?
 
If only tests were even more accurate than what they are.  If only we had
an instant test that was dead on accurate also for shows and shelters to
use.  If we had better tools and more exact information, then we could
possibly be more decisive about all this.  I wish knew exactly how long
ADV stays on surfaces.
 
How do we reach people that want to show their ferrets, that really should
not... but do so because it is not "breaking any rules"?  How do we make
them feel supported, and not persecuted in the meantime.  They need love
and support in the midst of it all.  How do we be firm and request that
shelters not adopt out to ADV positive homes ... if we should indeed do
that... so that people dealing with the stress of ADV are not tempted to
make decisions that will affect them negatively in the future and endanger
ferrets.  If there is a special case for consideration, how can a shelter
see into a home to know if quarenteening and proper precautions are
excercised in that home to protect a negative ferret?  A good and more
complex question was raised about "how long" before a shelter should adopt
out to a past ADV positive home, or when should some one feel safe about
showing a neg ferret from a past ADV positive home?
 
Maybe shelters could sell parvocide, with a pamphlet on how to disinfect
a past ADV postive home, or even instruct someone?  Should we voice
concern to shelters about this and about adopting out to current ADV
positive homes?  How does one approach someone that is dealing with so
much in their ADV home, and suggest that maybe they are not making the
best judgement calls (and are possibly endangering others).  How do you
do that without seeming to meddle, and how do you do that in a supportive
way cause I have not figured that one out.
 
Wolfy, just wanting to be a friend and trying to figure out how to help
ferrets at the same time
 
Please visit:
http://www.geocities.com/wolfysluv/
for information on ferret deafness:
http://www.geocities.com/wolfysluv/deaf.html
[Posted in FML issue 3835]