Hi,
 
I have had ferrets for 19 (almost 20) years and have been very fortunate to
have had fairly healthy little guys.
 
In 1985 I received a blind fereet who had been traumazided by a short stay
in a pet store.  The pet store gave him to me because I wasn't afraid of him
when he shrieked in fear and tried to bite me.  Poor little guy.  He had
been taken from the only home he new after 3 years and put into a pet store
where people were constantly poking at him.  Anyway, Freddy was my first
rescued ferret.  I have had 6 rescuees since Freddy's death in 1992.
 
In 1996 one of my middle age friends got very ill.  I took him to the vet.
She couldn't find a good reason for his ailment and wanted to do exploritory
surgery to the tune of $350.00!!  I had already sunk 175.00 into lab tests
and x-rays and could not afford any more.  Cody recovered and lived another
5 months before he got ill again and passed away.
 
I now have two ferrets that I think could be ill.  They are currently
ramsacking my study, so they are not dying, but they are not in good health.
I am hoping I can get insight from this list and take this info to my vet.
 
Slinky is a 6 year old nuetered male.  He has a reoccuring sore on the side
of his face (Cody had the same problem on his nose) and his hair is thinning
especially around his hind legs and tail.  Cody had similar problems before
he took ill.
 
Nubbins is a 4 year old (?  I got her 3 years ago from someone who had found
her in their front yard, she was not fully grown at that time) spayed
female.  She recently swelled at the vulva and has a pussy discharge.
Antibiotics have not cleared this up.  She came to me with no tail and the
vet thought maybe she had an infection because the 4 males were "having
their way with her," but we seperated her out (much to her dismay) and gave
her antibiotics, the discharge did not stop and she is still swollen.  Next
to our teenager Casper, Nubbins is the most active and playful of the group.
She, too, is experiencing thinning of the hair, but not to the extent that
Slinky is.
 
My other three little guys are doing fine.  I finally taught my new blind
ferret how to go down the stairs safely.  He use to follow the gang up the
stairs, but would not come back down.  Now that he can go up and down he is
much happier.
 
Any help or possible suggestions that I can get on Slinky and Nubbins would
be greatly appreciated.  Slinky has been my pal for 4 years and it just
breaks my heart to see him this way.
 
Thanks
 
Peggy
[Posted in FML issue 1816]