> Geeze ... I got mine (Marshall Farms ferret)  around 5 years ago. I'm
> beginning to think I was lucky to get my babies when I did ...
>
> --Barb--
 
Marshall farms has had a closed colony for 40 years, so it get's worse
daily.  Now, Path Valley recently lost much of their breeding colony
(hush hush as to causes) and where did they turn for replacements?  You
guessed it, Marshall Farms!  So, now Path Valley has the same gene pool
of "kissing cousins".
 
To add insult to injury (has this one already been posted?) there's a
new farm up in Canada that's sending out ferrets at 6 weeks *one day
after being altered with stitches intact that DO NOT DISSOLVE*, AND
they don't tell new owners that they need to be taken care of!!!
 
GRRRRRR!!!!
 
[We're beginning to see a number of repeats of this plus GEnie
postings.  You, Katie, Chip, Bill, Jeb and a few others tend to see
the same information, and repost the same stuff.  On autopilot,
the last issue would have been twice the size - I got two almost
identical sets of GEnie messages.  I would prefer that
the FML not be considered to be an extension of GEnie/Compuserve/whatever's
audience.  And vice-versa.  I would prefer that important articles
in other networks be synopsized here.  Perhaps we could just let Katie
(and/or her designate) be the Compuserve "pipeline", and Bill (and/or
his designate) for GEnie.  I also understand that some of the network
services are rather protective about the information on *their* network
and may get annoyed (up to lawyer invocation) at rebroadcast in
unauthorized ways.  I'm not interested in being sued.]
 
> From:  Thomas Clancy <[log in to unmask]>
>  Could some kind sole please tell me what constitutes a "Sable" ferret.
 
DARK brown (sable colored) guard hair with a beige undercoat.  Med.
brown guard hair is chocolate.
 
>  Nancy, is Bree's abdomen small? ie: When you pick her up does she feel
> scrawny towards the rear? Can you feel her back bones more so now than
> before? Does pressing Bree's abdomen and under the rib cage reveal any
> lumps? [Aside from 2 kidneys]? Some of the symptoms you describe
> are quite common with a bowel or stomach obstruction. Rupert had ingested
 
I sort of doubt it.  But I am going to have x-rays taken anyway.  Maybe
even an ultrasound.
 
> From:  [log in to unmask] (Mark D. Chavez)
> Subject: ferret_research
 
Thanks, Mark!!!  That it the kind of stuff we all need to print out and
keep on file.  You never know when you might need it.  Also, it
wouldn't be a bad idea for everyone to print things like that out and
drop them off at your vet.
 
> From:  [log in to unmask] (Mark Ouellette x8216)
> Subject: Weasie has a new friend.
 
Congratulations!
 
>  1. How often should they be eating wet food?  We feed them Iams kitten
 
Never.  Feed dry kitten food.  If they start getting overweight switch
to cat food.  At about 4 years old you should go to cat food, if you
haven't by then.  Only go to the low protein old age foods if your ferret
has some sort of health problem that warrants it.
 
>  2. How often should they get Linatone?  I gave Weasie some the other
 
About 2 or 3 drops 2 or 3 times a week.  Same for Ferretone.  You don't
want to overdose on the fat soluble vitamins.
 
>  3. Anyone have any luck racking up frequent flyer points for your
>     carpet sharks? 8-)  Seriously, we're planning on visiting family
 
Good luck finding an airline that allows ferrets!  Your best bet would
be to say that you will be bringing 1 pet carrier on board (make sure
it's airline approved!!!) and never specifically say that you are
bringing ferrets.  What they don't know won't hurt them.  :)  But,
do NOT try to sneak them on board (I once got caught trying to
sneak a 4 inch long newt through, they wouldn't let him on!  Fortunately
the "airport guy" offerred to watch him for the week and a half I
would be gone - this was in Nashville, thank goodness for southern
hospitality!  The newt survived fine, although I had to keep him hidden
behind my books for the next few months - I was taking him home because
he was kicked out of the dorm - And, while I was arguing with the guy
trying to get him to let my newt fly with me, *Joe Piscopo* walked up to
see what was going on.  Pretty funny in retrospect, but boy was I
pissed at the time.  :) )  Two ferrets are sure to be caught going
through x-ray if they caught my little 4 inch long newt!  Also, have
a friend available to pick your ferrets up if they do actually realize
that you have ferrets in the carrier, and know that the airline doesn't
officially allow ferrets.  (just how many stewardesses do you really
think know that, anyway???)
 
Also, make sure that the airline allows pets in the cabin.  If not
the'll have to be shipped as luggage.  And, if they do go in the
cabin, most airlines have a rule that only 1 pet carrier is allowed
at any time.  (in the cabin, *not* per person!)   So, if you can
reserve that priviledge, do so, otherwise get there early.
 
> From:  Effie Marie Hines <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: TN clubs
 
Here's a person who was going to start an AFA chapter, but I haven't
heard anything about it in around 6 months.  I don't know if he went
independent or just gave up on the idea.  Bobby Eaton (615) 843-1786,
that's in Chattanooga.
 
RE. Medical alert:
 
I just got off the phone from a very long conversation with Georgia
Bailey.  (She posted the following message that I put in yesterday's
mailing list, it's a good reference, you might want to re-read it:
>      Category 5,  Topic 5
>      Message 296       Sun Apr 04, 1993
>      G.BAILEY11 [DRAGON RUN]      at 18:48 EDT
)
 
She told me that in her experience, diarrhea is NOT the first symptom!  In
fact, some of them never got it.  They went right to the liver damage.
Also, she hasn't seen any with vomiting.
 
Here's an overview of the conversation:
symptoms:  change in habits, lessened activity and loss of appetite, weight
loss, dehydration, diarrhea (usually green), low temp - under 100, problems
maintaining body temp.
 
Can't be cured, you just have to fight secondary infections and keep them
alive while they get over it.  Her treatment is:  Broad spectrum antibiotic
(amoxycillin, etc...), subq fluid (ringers) 30 cc 3x daily, force
feed (see her GEnie post in yesterday's FML for diet) liquid diet going
to meat baby food as ferret improves, maintain body temp.
 
Necropsies on ferrets who died of this have show liver damage, but the
intestinal tract sometimes appears unnaffected.  ~95% never show signs
of colitis.
 
To Chere:  Georgia says that Baby (the chocolate roan hurricane andrew
ferret) is doing completely wonderful!  :)  They determined his colitis
was caused by stress, took him off all medication, and now his colitis
has cleared up and his coat has grown back!  He's living with a
wonderful lady in VA who has many ferrets, but he's one of her special
"house ferrets".  She has a wonderful set up, even with a tube that the
ferrets can use to go outside to a "ferret run" whenever they want.
She is a special lady, indeed, as she's one of those wonderful
people who loves to open her home to the old shelter ferrets that
are so hard to place.
 
I'm very tired and am going to bed.  If I forget, someone remind me
to post what I found out about rabies in the next few days.
 
- Nancy
 
Nancy Hartman                     CIS graduate student
[log in to unmask]                  U. of Delaware
        President and founder, Delaware Valley Ferret Club
          Owner of Percy, Bree, & Popcorn, the ferrets
 
[Posted in FML issue 0450]