Have too little time to address much so will try to get the minutes
tomorrow; just wanted to say that Marshall Farms HAS supported (financially
and in donated animals) multiple research projects designed to protect
ferrets and improve veterinary care.  This is NOT from Marshalls telling
me so, but from the researchers doing so.  The first one I know about was
the original work which led to effective vaccines, the most recent one I
know of personally (though there may be ones before vaccines, or after the
shedding studies, or both) was the rabies virus shedding studies which
saved more ferrets very rapidly (by getting quarantines rather than
automatic brain testing) in even certain single states in just one year
than were used in all the shedding studies combined.  (Some states just did
it on any little excuse -- kisses, fights by couple with no skin broken but
a vengeful ex, etc.)
 
There are most certainly improvements which Marshalls needs, but to get
them to improve it pays to concentrate on what is wrong and to find
effective ways to tackle the issues.  Complaining about what they are doing
right or assuming that they must be doing things wrong which are just fine
isn't going to make for effective persuasion in the right direction.
 
BTW, the complain mode has been tried many times over the decade plus
without positive results.  It might make the complainer feel good but it
hasn't saved any ferrets.
 
What broke my heart was when the move to try to get the USDA (?) to require
kits to be older from ALL sources didn't work.  That was a very valiant and
hard fought effort by several marvelous folks here a few years back (which
I read about but did not work on).  It was really SMART approach.  People
had already tried many times to convince a number of large breeders to send
out older kits, but they all said that the buyers want the cute little
fluff balls even if they haven't gone through teething, yet (an angle
tried), so they couldn't go with older ages if competitors weren't doing
the same thing.  My secret hope is that there will again be a strong call
for the mandatory age limit to be older before shipping or sale, by federal
regulation.  If it's across the board then the problem will go away and the
competition factor won't be there, anymore.
 
Oh, and I know that Marshalls did have a fact sheet a few years ago.  Might
be that it went away, but it might also be that either the distributor or
the pet store Mary saw just didn't give it out.  Since it also included ads
for marshalls products I doubt it went away.
 
Have a call due in to find out more about the French thing.  Hope to fit
that in schedules on Tuesday (the day you'll read this).  Let's hope it's
not anything bad, okay?
 
Re: fish -- remember the saying "moderation in all things" and also recall
that the James Fox veterinary text goes into some very serious results
which too much fish can cause.  Can't recall particulars offhand and don't
have time to look it up now or I'll never get to sleep, but know you'll
look it up in the nutrition section of the text or at least use some
moderation to be safe.  Ditto corn.
 
King James (or his staffer or other who ghost wrote if such existed) was a
LOUSY translator.
 
Wish us luck that Steve and I won't have to replace the entire AC unit
tomorrow.
[Posted in FML issue 2718]