Recently there has been a lot of discussion about sedating ferrets for
various reasons.  I would like to address sedating for travel purposes.
 
When any animal (including the human species) is sedated, the body often
loses it's ability to thermoregulate, causing either the animal/person to
feel either extremely chilled or hot.  This can cause the reaction of
violent shivering or panting, neither of which is a good thing.  Should
this happen to your ferret while you are not near a vet, or worse yet while
in the air whether the ferret is in the passenger cabin or cargo hold,
there is nothing you will be able to do to counter affect the situation,
which can have negative effects on your pets health.  Many vets are leery
of or totally opposed to sedation for this reason.
 
Speaking from the experience of both someone who has shipped ferrets cross-
country in cargo, as well as personally experienced the inability to
thermoregulate after surgical sedation, I have two points to make.  The
ferrets were fine without sedation (we feel they slept the entire way, they
were raring to go when we got to our destination).  I would never want any
person or animal to have to experience the feeling of inability to
thermoregulate due to sedation.  It is a horrible feeling of being
completely out of control as far as personal comfort level combined with
groginess.
 
If your ferret has a comfortable cage with his regular bedding (let him
sleep in it for a day or two before putting it in the travel cage), there
is really no need to sedte him, and he will be healthier in the long run.
 
-Anne
[Posted in FML issue 2490]