On a lighter topic Seven of Six played with Jumpstart yesterday.  Now, she
has discovered that she can play with two of the others.  Glueball was
first.  Ashling still won't accept her so we have no choice but to use
Bitter Apple on Seven around her -- and can have them having romps with
naps through the entire back of the house for many hours then.  Still,
Seven is beginning to learn to socialize so eventually this will work out.
 
When you know that the tail fur loss isn't something like a fungal disease
or acne try using unscented, plain, old fashioned moisturizing oil on the
tail each day (after clearing this with your vet since you wouldn't want to
use mineral oil on one with an intestinal problem and maybe with some other
things), or use another product which would be safe if ingested in slight
amounts.  Pat it down to reduce licking.  If the ferret licks it very much
ask your vet for other suggestions.  Expect a MESS when it is whisked
around while drippy, and don't have the ferret on a surface which will
be made unsafe for walking if oily.  On Warp, because she doesn't have a
licking problem we have used Moisturel with fine results, but clear any
such products with vet FIRST and do NOT use ones with anything they should
NOT ingest.  If you don't know if something might be a problem then LOOK IT
UP FIRST.  (Remember that most vets don't have herbal resources so grab a
reliable text like a V.  Tyler one, or the PDR of herbals, or the German
Monographs and check things those out yourself IF present.  Ah.
libraries...)
 
Green runs: anything which causes runs can cause green ones if food passes
through too rapidly; the list goes well beyond ECE.  Ditto seedy stools.
ECE is very contagious, continues serious runs for an extended period, and
the runs come to smell strongly necrotic (of rotted flesh in addition to
normal runs smells).  In addition there can be dangerous dehydration,
permanent damage to the intestines, secondary infections, worsening of any
underlying illnesses, damage to kidneys, etc.  In our home symptoms it went
on for something in the range of three months or more, intensive nursing
was needed, two were left with permanent damage and though they lived into
normal ranges they would have lived longer without it since the intestinal
damage complicated hypertrophic cardiomyopathy for The Organic Helicopter
and kidney damage caused by the ECE was what killed Spot so ultimately the
ECE was his actual caused of death.  Warp developed a sudden serious ulcer
and almost bled out with projectile vomiting of blood one day, but she
doesn't seem to have any lasting damage.  After the ECE was over we waited
a year before we had anything to do with anyone else's ferrets as a
precaution to avoid spreading it.
 
It was funny today.  I was thinking how sad it was that wonderful people
who helped the Florida ferret wound up hurt: a marvelous, experienced,
and loving ferret shelter operator, and some people who wanted to provide
homes, and the very kind soul who helped prevent the ferret from being
dumped just because they wound up talking at cross purposes -- none of
them meaning to do so.  (Of course, the important part of the result was
marvelous in that the ferret was saved so the people involved did important
and beautiful work.)  Anyway, I was thinking about how easy it is to have
that happen sometimes, and heard a HORRIBLE screeching noise outside.  Went
out and someone was cutting down tile for a repair job.  I said something
to sympathize with him having to endure that sound and he mistook it to
mean that I was complaining about the sound, I tried to clarify and he
still misunderstood.  It was so strange that I had JUST been thinking about
when this sort of thing happens and well-meaning people on each side can't
figure out why and -- blammo -- it happens to me.  There was no language
barrier, either -- just people putting on spins which never belonged there
in the first place.
[Posted in FML issue 2939]