>From:    Dee Eisenman <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Civil and appreciated
>
>I am worried now about anybody diagnosing a ferret from afar.
 
Perhaps you should worry more about yourself and your own actions.  We have
suggested folks take ferrets to their vet based on descriptions they have
given us and unsurprisingly we were accurate.  This has happened with many
people that have become ferret knowledgeable.
 
Now when a vet does the same his accuracy is also unsurprisingly much
better.
 
Now the fact that people can suggest what might be wrong from just
descriptions is not a threat to ferrets.  If instead of merely surmising
what might be wrong and suggesting that no direct medical attention be
paid to it might be dangerous.
 
Some of the maladies that we have diagnosed from afar include the blue
bruise like appearance on a sable just growing in a new coat.  That is
hardly a dangerous diagnosis.  Anything more serious is indeed sent along
with a comment that the ferret really should see a vet.
 
Folks often do not know if their ferret needs a vet.  Usually if you don't
know you should see a vet.  Sometimes it is just a new ferret owner not
used to the quirks of ferrets.
 
>Wow!  I am really shocked that Mr. Killian would think calling ferrets a
>"hobby" is ok.  Boy is that a scary statement coming from someone who is
>a breeder.  I seem to recall several people getting upset over backyard
>breeders who do it for a "hobby".  Very alarming comments indeed.
 
That is an uncalled for inflammatory remark.  The backyard breeders that
are the "puppy mills" of the ferret world are not breeding ferrets as a
hobby but rather as a supplemental or even only income.
 
Those that do it as a hobby are those that are most likely to have the
ferrets interest in mind.
 
>Again, thank you to those of you who are mature enough to respect other
>peoples' opinions and not flame or accuse.
 
Everything from your hotmail ID to most of what you write seems intended as
inflammatory.
 
It seems rather odd that someone as inflammatory as "not_into_zen" with
several rather insulting posts such as this would complain about the
postings of others.
 
BTW, what is your real name?  Why have you chosen Bill (but not Diane) and
a few others in the past including the Sheffermans as targets?  You wrote
as a subscriber to Modern Ferret but as Mary pointed out the name you use
in posting was not a subscriber.  The name we post under is our real name.
We are willing to put our real selves out to stand by everything we write.
If you weren't so very negative on us we would not be as worried.  But
there is a ruse going on and we have had to deal with stalkers and hackers
so our apprehension is earned.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com
[Posted in FML issue 3202]