Hi, my name is Dani, I am the mama to four ferrets and a wild puppy.  I am
short on introductions because I think my oldest is sick.  Harvey just
turned four.  She (don't make fun that her name is a boy's name, after all,
her mama is Dani (pronounced Danny)) has a swollen anus and vulva.  She has
seemed thin ever since we got the newbies last Oct.  Other than seeming a
bit thin and sleeping more than the babies she has seemed healthy.  Our vet
said not to worry about her weight, as she is not *lighter* than her past
records indicate.  Still I think she is *thin* not necessarily *lighter*.
Anyway, I just noticed tonight that her vulva is swollen and I think I may
feel something swollen in her belly as well.  I guess I am asking how
worried should I be?  Dr. Williams?  I also have some questions for you
directly when you have the time regarding my baby boy over the rainbow
bridge.  I don't want to get into that here.
 
Back to manners- Harvey is the oldest of my fur covered children.  She is
the original Miss Chevious.  She is also the biggest Daddy's girl I have
ever seen!  I had also Chester, who died of leukemia last Sept.  He was the
cutest, sweetest boy that could be.  I still miss him so much.  All the
others are the same age, MF ferrets.  Eddie is the only boy of the bunch.
But what a boy, outweighing the others by a great margin.  Sweet speedbump
boy, but not cuddly yet.  Bailey is the Harvey wannabe.  She hasn't gotten
the sweetness down, quite yet, but the poses are patented.  Little Bit is
the tinest and the most determined.  She alone has gotten over the boundary
board we *had* used to keep them where they belonged.  Kind of useless now.
She can get over boards we can't step over, so we just close the door.
 
Eddie doesn't like treats.  I *made* him take linatone (tone for short, it
is easier for the ferts to say).  Now that is the only treat he will take.
The others go ga ga for raisins and bananas, but he just turns his cute pink
nose up at them.  Any other suggestions?  I have tried grapes and peanut
butter (no one likes the peanut butter) and different cereals, but he will
have no part of them.  Hates bandits treats, too.  Luckily the dog eats
them.  ;)
 
Sorry for the long post, but I just want to put a few things out there for
the new ferret owners.  All these statements are from my own experience
only.  I do not claim expertiese on ferrets.  Like my disclaimer, MO Bob?
New ferrets want to explore their area before they will do anything else.
No play, no introductions to other animals.  After they are familiar with
their surroundings (this may take as long as a couple of days, as short as
an hour), they will start to go across the room instead of around the
corners.  This is when an established ferret can be introduced.  I have
found that the ferrets will "fight" to establish dominance.  This behavior
will not stop until the dominate one is established.  At times, the
challenge may go up again.  They may cry out during fighting, but it is
probably best to just let them fight unless real harm is being done, since
they will just keep trying to see who is boss.  Crying is different from
screaming.  If they scream, whether it is from another fert or not, they are
in some real pain or fear, not just saying "uncle" like the cry.  You will
know it if you hear it.
 
I have bathed my ferrets every day for years without any problems, skin,
odorous or otherwise.  Now that I have four, it is more like twice a week.
Still no problems.  My ferrets have always hated to be bathed in the sink or
tub, but they love the shower with me.
 
I have more, but it is late and I have to up early.  Thanks for listening.
 
Dani
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Dani Lucking                              [log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1668]