I am a wildlife rehabber and nuisance trapper.  When I rescue ferrets,
they have almost alway come from the wild, although it is sometimes
hard to judge how long they have been out there.
When we get wild carnivores (which I specialize in) such as raccoon,fox
or mink, we routinley worm them since they are sure to have at least
roundworms.
I have read nothing on the FML about worming ferrets.  When you
get new ferrets in your shelters, do you worm them?  What about
heartworms?  Have you found anything out of the ordinary occuring
in ferrets that have been in the wild for long periods of time ( other
than nutrition problems)?  How long do you observe a ferret from
the wild before you adopt it out?(Do you keep it longer than one
that comes directley from a domestic situation)?
 Luckily, we have no rabies in our area,(although we all have our
pre-exposure shots) ut we have just finished a 2 year epidemic
of distemper in our raccoons and fox ( we have one every 8-10 years.
 Any info on worming and parasit control in domestic ferrets found
in the wild would be appreciated.
  Thank you, Gale Putt,Owned by Delphi (the Panda),Dickens (the sable)
         and the mini herd of toe-nibblers
[Posted in FML issue 1084]