>I have problems with taking advice from citical sources and being bashed
>over the head with it.  BUT I am wondering if Ed might have something with
>what he says and does for his ferrets - 17 years IS worth bragging about,
>it can't be all an accident, especially if this is a shelter taking in
>"strays".  Totally Ferret is expensive and I feed it with the hopes it will
>keep my little darlings healthy.  I would not mind mixing up a soup once
>a day if it did more than Totally could and did protect them from these
>ailments....
>I am wondering if there is any testimony from those who have followed his
>advice and what results they saw.?????
 
Millie,
 
I got my first ferret when I was 15 -- and that was over 35 years ago.  At
that time, my vet just shrugged blankly when he was asked what kind of
treatment or shots were necessary, at what age to neuter him, and what was
healthiest to feed him.  Finding proper care advice was pretty hit or miss
then.
 
Over the years I have learned a great deal, and I just don't truthfully know
of anyone who has provided care for a ferret for any length of time who has
not honestly experienced at least one incident of the greenies -- whether
indiced by stress, a gastrointestinal upset, or ECE -- anyone who tells you
or the FML is just not being square.  There is at least one simple truth
about ferret care -- eventually, they can and do get sick.  There is just
no escaping it, and that's the truth.
 
Are there things you can do to lessen the chances of illness?  I certainly
believe so.  I feed Totally Ferret now exclusively -- there are some other
great ferret foods available (Innova) springs to mind, for one), but I have
had such dramatic success with TF, that I choose to stick with it.  We go
through 60 pounds a month.  Snack food treats are almost unheard of here --
treats are usually a few drops of Ferretone, Ferrevite, or PetroMalt.  Other
than that, treats are usually a handful of TF pieces given to the ferrets.
Bananas and raisins are very rare celebratory treats and given in miserly
moderation when given.
 
The ferrets here get as much free play/exercise time out of cages as
possible daily, and their room gets the maximum exposure to natural sunlight
as possible.  I also try to keep as natural a daily photoperiod as possible
for the ferrets -- very rarely are the lights in their room turned on after
dusk.  The result here is improved health, vigor, and a sweet disposition.
Anastasia, a rescue who came from the most horrible conditions anyone can
imagine -- she and her cage mate were caged in a bare metal cage outside in
Ohio during a subArctic winter and as a result, they were both frozen to the
bottom of the cage.  Anastasia lost 1/3 of her tail, and Boris lost his
entire tail and both hind feet -- turned 11+ years old today and just had a
checkup that pronounced her in excellent health.
 
I have also learned to take the experiences of other small mammal and
exotics care givers into account.  Many times a non-ferret person has
provided some excellent points for improved care -- the natural sunlight
is an example.  Southern Flying Squirrels can become ill unless they are
exposed to natural sunlight or given a vitamin D supplement.  Natural
sunlight is cheaper, IMO.  A friend who has pioneered the care of domestic
skunks noticed years ago that at the time, the common cause of death among
pet skunks was cancer.  At the time, skunks were routinely being fed dog
food which was excellent for the dogs for which it was formulated, but a
ticket to the grave for skunks.  She developed a healthier diet for domestic
skunks, and not cancers are rare.  I have wondered for qute some time if
some of the diseases we are seeing in ferrets might not be associated with
the habit of feeding cat foods -- I'm not saying they are, just that I have
to wonder.  There are 29 ferrets living here now, all are fed TF, and there
is not one among the lot who have adrenal disease or insulinoma to date.
 
Am I saying that I have found the magic bullet to eliminate disease and
illness among ferrets?  Not on your life.  I do believe that maintaining
good health for our fuzzy friends is far more complex than brewing up a pot
of soup, slapping a catchy name on it, and claiming that it is the cure for
everything.  There is no magic cure -- illness will strike even the most
vigilant of ferret caregivers, and that is the one truth you can count on.
 
Scott and the Mustilid Mob.
[Posted in FML issue 2400]