Heart Murmur: If you have a knowledgeable vet I'd just go with the studies
your vet encourages.  I know you are probably worried about doing them.
Maybe it will help you to know that we've had ferrets with much more
serious heart conditions get through ultrasounds, EKGs, x-rays and other
heart tests without ANY problems at all.  Some needed to be lightly knocked
out with gas for certain tests; in some tests the critters are up and
about.  Have to warn you that they have always HATED the cold gel and
clamps with the EKGs but otherwise were unscathed.  (Oh, and DO expect
them to shave for an ultrasound.)
 
Ela, you are a friend and I am sure that right now you are kicking yourself
for that somewhat questionable comment since I know you didn't mean it to
sound like that.  Here's the response: There are many possible reasons why
a person or a ferret (for that matter) may wind up sick less (or more)
often than others.  Genetic inclination is one.  In Dad's family people
catch what seems like everything (educating the immune system, as I like to
think of it) till sometime in their 50s; then they live another 35 to 50+
years (Yep!) typically free of any contagious illnesses and VERY able till
the final illness or accident.  Since Mom's family catches very little, but
1/4 of them wind up dead by the early 50s, who am I to argue with success?
Folks/ferrets may be more exposed to young children in work or volunteer
activities (sweet, little germ factories a friend pediatrician jokingly
calls them).  People/ferrets may work, volunteer, shop, play or travel (I
don't drive.) in ways which increase exposure in enclosed areas with lots
of individuals.  Some undertake some hazardous situations.  Some may just
be overworked and overly tired, or poorly nourished.  Some may simply have
not been exposed to the diseases early on (like Bob never having
encountered chicken pox, or me not having any known exposure to influenza
till I was in my early 20s (so I am making up for it since I figure it's a
better education for the old-age health of my immune system than the
shots).  Some don't get certain vaccinations.  Some have irritated nasal
passages from allergies or other causes which make it easier for illnesses
to set up shop.  Some were born with congenital problems which increase
susceptibility.  Some adults may still be atrophying out tonsils so
anything they get spirals into those going up.  Hey, the list could go on
and on.  Of course, sometimes getting sick is NOT a bad thing to have
happen long term.
 
Don't have the info handy here but it was in the CURRENT edition of one of
the major medical journals and it's been ALL OVER the media recently so
anyone looking at the new ones will find it easily enough.  The thing that
they did the echinacea overview on was cold viruses and there they did not
find any effectiveness, saying that in multiple studies a very small
difference was seen but only after the herb had been taken for longer than
the virus tends to live.  For that they recommended two of the zinc
preparations which were found to shorten the duration of symptoms by about
half (though some other zinc preparations were ineffective).  Folks can get
it and make up their own minds, just as with anything else.
 
That wasn't my big point, anyway.  I simply want people to be aware of the
serious damage which the (too often) indiscriminate harvesting (some legal
and some illegal) of herbs can cause in ecosystems such as the ones Black
Footed Ferrets need for their survival, and how the popularization of
herbal medicine makes cultivation a very real need.  Wild harvesting has
some exceedingly significant impacts which folks need to consider when
making their supply choices, and among the areas which have already
suffered damage are ones in the origianal Black Footed Ferret range, some
of which may be needed if there is to be long range effective reinstatement
ever.
 
Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 2496]