In case anyone else misunderstood why I asked about feeding kits who can't
be nursed, Steve and I are NOT breeders, nor do we have a shelter.  I AM
someone who has often had to care or help care for critters (legally --
except maybe for some of the cases that happened back in the 50s and 60s
when I was a kid and none of us knew better) in an assortment of
situations, from non-native wild animals while I was working for a
university, to native wild animals, to domestic animals.  That's how I
knew about the (often very useful) trick of placing cloth in front of a
syringe of dropper since it gives something which actually can be suckled
so helps with the individuals who can't handle a dropper or syringe
directly.
 
The reason I asked for people to share this information PUBLICALLY is
because it is the sort of info which is needed QUICKLY when it is needed so
it is useful for a good number of people read about it and file it in their
memories just in case.  If Kim could put down how breeders/shelters/vets
who are interested can obtain the skunk formula she mentioned that may help
save some ferrets.  Any acceptable substitutes when one doesn't have them?
 
What are your favorite ways of providing reliable long-term warmth if you
can't find a surrogate mother rapidly?  I've noticed from one we got for a
sick ferret years ago that the whelping pad we got can NOT have covers
placed over it, and I know well from experience that there are limitations
to when and how long a carry set-up inside a shirt can be used.
 
Sorry if this sounds terse -- am sore with allergies today.
 
Least Weasels are very special, very rare, and protected in at some of
their range (possibly all -- I don't know) so the people with one in their
shed should definitely call FG&W and explain what they are actually seeing.
Most that I have heard about will come out and relocate a Least Weasel.
They need to also find out how it got in and plug that openning if they
don't want a repeat.  (BTW, a person has to wonder if the rodent droppings
and urine might have been worse for their water quality than the weasel
ones!) Anyway, Least Weasels are nose to tail about 130 mm to 340 mm (VERY
small!).  Except in the south they are prone to changing color in the
winter to between largely to almost completely white (but make allowances
for there being the possibility of individuals who don't).  It is an
excellent rodent control animal.  There are other weasels with the same
sort of coloring pattern, btw.
 
Dawn, try dumping the vitamins and use a great food like Totally Ferret
and see what happens.  If the symptoms are so mild that they just might
be personal variations with the season starting to change, and normal
alterations from day-to-day then try that and don't worry.  If the symptoms
are worse than they sounded get to a vet.
 
Getting ferret toys made safer when ones which are clear hazards are sold
sounds like an EXCELLENT way to save ferret lives and it would not be hard
for a good number of people here to write to the manufacturer(s).  Why not
ask your petstore manager for the address(es) of the company(ies) selling
the questionable toys and then people could take the high road bu writing
to them with information on what sorts of toys and materials pose hazards
and which are safe so that they can create better supplies.  After all,
they want to make money (and risking being sued for killing a ferret with
a blockage doesn't do that) but creating something good enough that the
ferret community talks about it is!  This seems like it could be a PERFECT
FML project!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[Posted in FML issue 2586]