>to rebecca stout:
>i also agree with you concerning DFS and deafness in ferrets.  i think they
>are related.  i have 2 ferts, and only the one who is deaf does the "i am
>dead" trick.  i guess its because they can't be woken up with noise, but i
>would have thought that they would react to other stimuli (me licking their
>nose and usually they hate that).
>
>any reactions to that folks?>>
 
Ya I know, I have tough time figuring it out.  You would think their sense
of touch, movement, and smell would be a bit heightened as it seems to be
in humans that are deaf.  Mine seem to sleep through pungent odors put to
their nose while my hearing ferrets do not.  As far as movement and them
not waking up, the only thing I can think of is perhaps the vestubular
system may be underdeveloped or malformed.  Then that would make movement
(trying to wake them up) a bit off or dulled.  However I tend to doubt that
as they seem to be just as coodinated and balanced and nimble as an average
ferret.  I wish I had more experience.  My deaf girl is very adept, but my
two deaf boys bang their heads into everything.  So I'm left confused as
ever.
 
I am thinking of compiling a questionaire for the FML on deaf ferrets and
experiences with them.  There are so many things we are finding in common
yet not in "the books" and it would be interesting to see how common some
of these things are.
 
**So I'm putting out the word... any questions you would like asked... send
them to me via email and I'll start making the questionaire.  I will have
the questionaire broken down into congenital deafness, and acquired
deafness.  I may break it down more so that deafness caused by gentomycin,
and the like is not grouped with deafness caused by waardenburg syndrome.
 
 
Wolfy
Please visit:
http://www.geocities.com/wolfysluv/
for information on deafness and ferrets:
http://www.geocities.com/wolfysluv/deaf.html
take a peek at upcomming "so you have allergies":
http://www.geocities.com/wolfysluv/allergies.html
[Posted in FML issue 3080]