Dave Stuart wrote:
>The second ferret we got is much older (the closest we can guess is 5-6
>years.  He sleeps most of the time, but does enjoy playing for short times.
>I am concerned about him as he is unable to stand up on his hind legs.
 
No, that isn't normal.  Together with the lethargy, it's a big sign of
insulinoma.  Take him to a vet and have a fasting blood glucose test done.
The Ferret Insulinoma FAQ (GET INSULIN DISEASE FERRET sent to the
listserver, or look at the Medical FAQs at Ferret Cnetral) has more
information.
 
Brian Vinacco wrote:
>Also I would like to introduce Coty.  She was given to my wife and I
>on Thursday.  [...] Needless to say I have tried everything I could
>think of to get Sarah, to accept Coty.  [...]  If anyone knows of
>anything else I can try, please let me know.
 
Just patience.  It hasn't even been a week yet.  Make the introduction
slowly and give them all time to get used to the idea.  Most ferrets will
get along within three weeks; some may take three months or more.  There are
some more bits of advice in the FAQ, too.
 
maulkin wrote:
>Loki is absolutely nuts.  Now his new habit is digging water out of the
>water dish.  We've since put towels down to catch most of it, but is this
>normal?
 
Yes.  Put the dish in a big plastic pan (a brand new litter pan works well
for us), get a dish with inward-sloping sides, or switch him to a bottle if
the digging or puddles are a real problem.  It also helps if you learn to
like picking up a ferret whose paws and chest are soggy. :)  If it's any
consolation, keep in mind that Loki's helping you keep his front nails short.
 
Steve Mcgrane wrote:
>I have asked before, and have not gotten a definate answer, How do you
>fatten up a ferret?  She is just fat enough to be healthy, but not enough
>to keep her awake as long as her sisters.
 
If she's healthy, don't worry about it.  Some ferrets, like some people, are
just naturally lighter than others, and some are lazier, and there isn't
necessarily a correlation.  :)
 
If you think she's too light to be healthy, you can give her some chicken
baby food as a treat.  Nutri-Cal and Sustacal (made for humans) are okay as
supplements for sick or malnourished ferrets.  Marshall Farms food is very
rich, probably a bit too much so for your average ferret, but good for kits,
pregnant and nursing jills, and ferrets who need to gain weight.  Totally
Ferret food has also been said to help put the weight on thin ferrets.  In
my own experience, two ferrets I fostered from the day they came into the
shelter gained 0.25 lb each in a month, just from switching from Meow Mix to
our standard mix of good cat/kitten foods.
 
Chuck Renaud asked:
>I couldn't find an authoritative answer on this--what is (if any)
>the difference between Ferretone and Linatone?  I'm curious if I can
>use Ferretone with the gliders.
 
Check the labels on the bottles.  The ingredients are slightly different,
and the vitamin content isn't quite the same.  It doesn't make any
difference for ferrets, since you're not really giving it to them for the
vitamins anyway.  I don't know about the sugar gliders.
 
--
- Pam Greene
Ferret Central <http://www.optics.rochester.edu:8080/users/pgreene/>
            or send INDEX FERRET in email to <[log in to unmask]>
[Posted in FML issue 1654]