What do you call a blind and deaf ferret who just had a bath?  Invisible!
(Heck, since smell is their primary sense: what do you call any ferret who
just had a bath?  You've got it: invisible.)  Yep, Steve gave our crew a
bath this morning, and no, we don't have any blind and deaf ones right now.
 
To clarify: the reason I let Mary know about the total darkness hypothesis
yesterday wasn't to get a hypothesis discussion rolling, since several
have good possibilities of carrying weight and adrenal growths very likely
involve several things working together.  At this point discussing them
without any existing hard and fast scientific research specifically on
this problem would be confusing for people who can't tell hypotheses from
theories from well researched information.  Instead, it was because the
ferret re-grew the fur in Autumn, when light hours are lessening so I
figured that it might be related and therefore of interest to her, and,
yes, it could just be that a shed and regrowth season was hit as I also
noted.  That said we do use a combination of bedding, black and doubly
thick cage cover, and no night lights in the room with the ferrets as an
easy "just in case" way to give them plenty of dark time because it MIGHT
help these descendents of pitch-black-burrow dwellers.
 
Several ways to give meds:
If the med can be crushed and mixed with anything (Ask vet because some
can't have the pill insides exposed to oils and some can't have the pill
insides exposed to water.) then do so.  A/D is good for those with which
water and meat aren't a problem, and Nutrical is good for ones which cope
with fats IF the ferret can have sugars, otherwise try Ferretone or
Linatone.  NEVER give it with a laxative like a furball medicine or too
much might just pass through -- exception is when there is no better option
and vet also says it's okay because then at least some gets in, especially
if it's one that digests quickly.
 
Putting Nutrical on the nose when some liquid meds have to be put in
(scruff the ferret or roll in a towel, and for yourself put on old clothes
due to splatter) sometimes confounds the sense of smell and lets the meds
go in easily.
 
Check into Compounding Pharmacists.  Flavors people have had good
luck with include liver, or tutti fruiti.  There may be some near you
or you can have thing shipped.  Some can be reached at:
1-800-322-1302 (or 1-908-756-6695), 1-800-861-0933, and
1-973-235-0909.
 
Look into using a small pill gun.
 
Give a safe treat after meds unless the med can't be given with food and
cuddle a lot afterwards.  Ask vet which treats would be acceptable.
 
Moderation, information quest and verification, and precautions in all
things, folks!  No product or issue you'll read about here is likely to
be all good or all bad.  We all get to learn and learn and learn.
[Posted in FML issue 2830]