>From:    julie soto <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Adoption Nightmare
>I have a question for all the shelter owners out there: When you take in
>a rescue do you take the new baby to the vet right away for shots and a
>general check up?  Or are shots and that initial check up the
>responsibility of the person adopting the ferret?
 
Well, speaking strictly for FERRET BUSINESS of GA....it depends.
Everything isn't as simple as it may seem.  First of all, was it an owner
surrender or a stray (found) ferret?  If it was found, we hold the ferret
for at least 2 weeks (while in quarantine) in the hopes it will be
reclaimed by the rightful owners.  I don't vaccinate until after the 2
weeks are up.  Second, can I get an appointment?  Just because I have
ferrets to be vaccinated doesn't mean there's an appointment available.
I have to do all elective (non-emergency) vet visits on Saturday morning
(between 8am & 12noon) because I work full time, & my vet is only in the
office every other Saturday.  And because I work full time during the
week, & do adoptions & take in most convenience surrenders on Sunday, I
only have Saturday to run errands, sometimes man a table (for FERRET
BUSINESS) for the day at a charitable event, clean my home, & do most of
the weekly (replace all bedding) ferret laundry (4-5 loads) for an
average of 20-25 ferrets in 10-14 cages.  Getting to the vet for routine
vaccinations can't always be my 1st priority.  So sometimes it can take up
to 1 1/2 months to get to the vet for a routine visit.
 
OK, so now I have a couple of unvaccinated fosters & I have potential
adopters over to visit ferrets available for adoption.  They're still
available for adoption with the stipulation that their new owners assume
responsibility for the vaccinations.  The new owners can make an
appointment & get them vaccinated the same way I can.  When this does
occasionally happen, it's like an additional donation to the fosters
because it's one less medical expense I have to worry about.
 
Some other points I'd like to comment on.
 
- Ages are usually a guesstimate, regardless of what you've been told by
the former owner - if there is one to ask.  I base it on physical
appearance - body tone, teeth color & wear, coat texture.  I've seen
plenty of 4-5 y/o fuzzy who could pass for active 3 y/olds, & I've seen
neglected or abused 2 y/olds who look very old.
 
- Ferrets coming into the shelter system are usually very stressed.  All
the smells are different, familiar surrounding are gone, strange ferrets
are sniffing them all over, & most of all, the human (or animal)
companion(s) they've bonded with are now gone.  Challenging on psyche, even
for a human who can rationalize.  This is why a seemingly perfect healthy
ferret can stop eating & start to lose weight.
 
- Just because a ferrets ears are dirty doesn't mean it's automatically
ear mites.  Ear mites can also infect at any time.  When an infestation is
detected, it doesn't mean that it's been long term.
 
- Adrenal disease isn't always apparent.  There's no way I could afford to
test every ferret coming into our care.  I've had emaciated ferrets who
looked adrenal because of poor, sparse coat quality grow beautiful coats
after receiving proper nutrition.
 
You're absolutely right, it was the right thing to do to provide a home to
an unwanted ferret.  You stated yourself that that poor little guy looked
like he need a home bad.  There's no question that a ferret (or any pet for
that matter) is far better off receiving the individual attention a loving
home of its own will provide, than receiving even the best care a foster
care giver can provide.
 
Without knowing both sides of the story (without seeing it with my own
eyes), I'll just state the facts from my perspective.  But there's
something I'd like you all to think about.  If you really feel that a
shelter isn't adequately caring for their wards...do you turn your back on
the little ones still there & say I'll never go there again?  Wouldn't it
be more productive to get as many out as possible &/or try to do something
to remedy the situation?
 
Juliana  (770) 984-1417 <[log in to unmask]>
FERRET BUSINESS of GA
(fer'it`biz'nis) n.  1 Ferret foster care & adoption.
     2 Info about ferret care & ownership.  3 What a ferret does.
     4 A collection of ferrets.  5 A direct result of ferret math.
/That's BUSINESS as in a bunch of ferrets folks./
[Posted in FML issue 2713]