**The advice dispensed by myself in reference to FML postings is not meant
to supplant the advice of veterinarians who are in charge of the patient.
If the patient is not currently under the care of a veterinarian, the client
is recommended to take their ferret to one.**
 
>From:    Sebastian McDonagh <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: ferret injuries
>Our first ferret "Nads" (we now have 3!) had the misfortune to clash with
>a shoe ..  while the owner was still wearing it....
 
It probably can be repaired instead of amputated.  There are a variety of
"small" bone techniques that are used successfully on ferrets, birds,
iguanas, etc.  It really depends on the type and extent of the fracture.  As
you mentioned, finding someone experienced with these very small exotics can
be difficult.
 
>From:    "DA Boom Boom Boomer! :)" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: cost of spaying and neutering
>To spay a female here in Lawrence, Ks, it would cost $150 bucks!  I asked
>the vet why whould you want to pay that much when you can get one at the pet
 
Some/most of the price difference is due to the different goals,
requirements, and technique of the two groups (breeding facility versus
privately owned).  In the case of a large breeding facility, the ferrets are
little "economic units" given injectable anesthesia and spayed/neutered by
technical people in an assembly line setting.  The large scale of the
operation (reducing overhead per animal) and the willingness to have some
loss of life produces an relatively inexpensive product.  Because the
breeding facility owns the ferret at this point, most State Veterinary
Practice laws allow non-veterinarians who are trained to do these surgeries
(just like a farmer can castrate his own bulls) do the surgery further
reducing the cost.  You as the consumer (with no emotional tie to the pet
yet) are interested in the end result: an inexpensive, probably healthy
ferret with little concern on how that product arrived at the pet store.
Wheras the veterinarian is deals with "a family member" where the loss of
life is not an acceptable option.  To accomplish this, s/he uses safer
anesthetics, anesthetic monitoring, sterile procedures, close post-operative
monitoring, etc.  Adding to the cost is that the spay/neuter is not an
assembly line procedure for the veterinarian so the overhead per surgery is
higher.  Also most State Laws do not allow non-veterinarians to do surgery
when the pet is privately owned.  Now you as the owner of this family pet
are interested in how that pet gets spayed (you demand excellence) because
you have an emotional attachment, we as the doctors want to provide the best
care, and medical jurisprudence requires a higher standard than the breeding
facility's.  I hope this clarifies some of the price difference.
 
>From:    Mark Zmyewski <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Buster just hit 4 pounds!  Vet-type questions.
 
I would monitor the fat one until Spring.  There are no common diseases
(except overeating) that cause obese ferrets.  The seedy stool means that
food is still slightly undigested when it passes through the intestinal
tract.  Probably secondary to the prior infection.  Also monitor this.
 
Mike Dutton, DVM, DABVP
Weare Animal Hospital
Weare, NH, USA
[Posted in FML issue 1830]