you wrote:
>From:    Benjamin Otten <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: Finding Ferret Vets + drawing blood
> have never clipped a ferrets nail to get a blood sample...
>There always seems to be another accessable vessel.  I do use nail clips
>on birds - but only to get a very small sample to assure the animal is not
>too anemic....
>I think nail clipping for blood drawing borders on inhumane.  And to open
>another can of worms, as a member of AVAR I do no belive in inhumane
>treatment of animals.
 
Hello Ben-
 
I cannot believe that you, as a vet, are advocating to folks with a ADV
potential epidemic -- Now in NJ, PA, MD, VA -- and you advocate publicly
that it is inhumane to do this procedure???  How else can you adequately
put the tiny amount into a capillary tube-- is a needle going to be more
humane?  After all this is done while the ferret is under isoflourane --
there is nothing inhumane about clipping the nail on a sleeping ferret is
there?  I ask you to please rethink your position on this -- and while you
are at it-- review the past 2 weeks posts re: AVAR -- you might be
surprised at what the messages were that were sent!
 
Then it must be inhumane to do surgeries too?  Why do ferret owners even
need vets then?  Do you also advocate like Teri that it is inhumane to have
ferrets as pets?  I think a whole lot of people are waiting for a vet to
make this statement on the list-- perhaps you should read the back copies
over the past few weeks.
 
Admittedly *Quite* confused by your posting on behalf of ferret health
everywhere!
 
alicia
at Ferret  Wise Shelter
http://www.dartmouth.edu/~crassi/index.html
[Posted in FML issue 2926]