Yesterday. Linda wrote:
 
>Please contact Dr. Chester Gipson, 301-734-4980,
>[log in to unmask], and let him know that the public has
>asked the USDA to address the very specific needs of the ferret, not
>just to continue to lump them in with "warmblooded animals other than
>dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, nonhuman primates, and
>marine mammals".
 
and she is right, as are Wendy and all of the others who have been
pointing out how important it is to NOT let ferrets be short-changed.
 
In addition to the essential things already mentioned I think that it
also might pay to politely remind Dr. Gipson that ferret people are
persistent.  After all, to prevent the needless deaths of ferrets there
was ten years of work put into first finding which vaccine would work for
long enough, then making sure that enough hard data on ferrets and rabies
was gathered by the CDC and its university partners on rabies in ferrets
for it to be known for a fact that the same regulations which are used
for cats and dogs could be as safely applied to ferrets.  That resulted
in the National Association of State Public Health Vets improving the
Compendium for Animal Rabies Prevention and Control.  We don't go away;
we just keep working.  So, if the try for ferret-specific standards wound
up derailed we'd just be back again and not only would we have to redo
work we'd already done but APHIS would have to redo work it has done.
 
Did you know that several years back, according to Ken Wells of the Wall
Street Journal ferrets comprised at least 2 Billion (not million) $
annually of a total $32 Billion spent on pets and their care in the U.S.
Two Billion Dollars is not not chump change.  People are putting their
money where their mouths are.  It says that there are many ferrets out
there and most are getting care.  Those associated with hit movies which
make up a far smaller portion of the national economy are taken
seriously, so...
 
If you haven't written yet do it this week!  WRITE IT IN EVERY CALENDAR
YOU HAVE IF YOU CAN'T DO IT RIGHT NOW.  That way we will have a surge of
polite letters to him in the final days before their essential meeting
reminding him and those with whom he works that FERRETS NEED FERRET
SPECIFIC STANDARDS.  They NEED an 8 WEEK MINIMUM SHIPPING and SALES AGE
*PROVEN BY THE CONICAL ADULT CANINES REPLACING THE NEEDLELIKE BABY ONES*
not just by papers.  They NEED careful temperature control and enough
food and water replacement during shipping.  They NEED so much more.
APHIS has been provided with data and references on the things which need
their consideration.
 
Every once in a while we each have the privilege to undertake a task
which uses only a few minutes of time, yet when taken together with the
words of others who are also writing, helps make real improvement
possible.  Please, write now.  It is your opportunity.
 
-- Sukie (not a vet, and not speaking for any of the below in my
private posts)
Recommended health resources to help ferrets and the people who love
them:
Ferret Health List
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
FHL Archives
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
AFIP Ferret Pathology
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
Miamiferrets
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
International Ferret Congress Critical References
http://www.ferretcongress.org
[Posted in FML issue 5329]