Hello.  I noticed the discussion of Giardia in MI regarding suspicious
stools.  I can't give any kind of medical opinion on this, but I would
venture to say that Giardia is unlikely.  You mostly get it from drinking
contaminated water, from what I hear.  Backpackers call it Beaver Fever,
because water downstream of a Beaver dam is supposed to be especially
hazardous that way.
 
I would think that your ferret is drinking the same water you are.  I'm sure
your vet would be happy to talk about it with you.  Even though she's new to
the field, she's fresh out of school.  She probably just took a class on
Ferrets and Giardia (or something relevant), a year or two ago!  Anyway,
some ferrets and people in MY house (in Michigan), just had a supremely
nasty FLU.  That sure caused a lot of suspicious stools.  I would be very
interested to know in the case that it turns out to really be giardia, (I
don't want to get it myself.  Ewww!) so post or write me or something when
you find out.
 
Also, I have a question about un-descented ferrets.  Mortimer was neutered
recently, but not descented.  I had understood that ferrets do not spray
unless very provoked, but he wanders around and sprays for no reason.  Is
something wrong with him?  Should I get him descented?  I notice it happens
a lot after he goes to the bathroom, but I'm sure it's not the smell of his
urine.  I can tell my ferrets apart by smell now, and I can tell whose
messes I'm cleaning up, and I can tell when Sebastian (the less smelly one,
has been snuggling with Mortimer), and I can DEFINATELY smell when Mortimer
has sprayed, which he does on a daily basis.  I feel like I'm turning into
an animal myself.  *laugh* (Oh, Mortimer's incisions from his neutering two
weeks ago look fine.  Actually, there's no incisions or redness or anything
at all).
 
Thanks in advance,
Catherine Shaffer and...
Sebastian --"What's a giardia?  Does it taste like banana?"
Mortimer --*poof*
[Posted in FML issue 1432]