Just a bunch of short stuff.  Some time ago I posted about Buddy's rear
right foot, discribing a dermatitis-like condition.  I forgot (was was
recently reminded) to report the vet diagnosis.  Turns out it was a
dermatitis caused by bacterial infection--sort of a cellutitis--and
responded quickly and favorably to antibiotic theapy.
 
I was asked if arthritis was common in mustelids, and while I can't speak
from a vet viewpoint, I can say that I have seen lots of skunk, otter (both
sea and river), mink, and ferret skeletons, and the problem seems to be
rather common in the hips and lower back, but also affects most joints at a
lower rate.  Foster, who is 9-yrs-old, has severe arthritis in his
lumbar-pelvic area, as well as his hip and knee joints.  When he first gets
up, he walks like an old rodeo cowboy, and sometimes his back half will fall
over or drag.  We treat him rather gently when handling him, and have even
spoken to our vet about administering anti-inflamatory agents, such as
asprin, but hesitate because of possible side-effects.
 
Osteologically, the weak spots in the mustelid skeleton seems to be the
sacroilliac and femoral-acetabular joints, where the sacral spinal vertebrae
and the rear leg attach to the the pelvis.  Because of the remarkable
springy quality of the mustelid spine, the sacroilliac joint has a lot of
"give;" any compromise in movement is immediately noticable in the
locomotion of the little fuzzy.  As for the hip joint, it is the most common
location of injury I have ever seen in mustelid skeletons.  Ferrets are huge
compared to their legs, and the rear legs power the animal.  Joint
fractures, dislocations, bone spurs, and arthritis are all too common
because of the amount of stress placed on the joint.  As with humans, I
would suspect exercise to be the best treatment.  I also allow Foster to
sleep on a warm heating pad during cold weather (taking precautions not to
over heat the rugrat).  I have yet to decide on non-steroid anti-inflamatory
drugs, and would appreciate comments.
 
Regarding the FML thread on loyalty.  While anecdotal evidence is not
evidence at all, there are alot of comments on the FML about ferret loyalty
to other ferrets, and to human slaves.  Stella lost half her body weight
when I was last in the hospital for surgery, and Bear went off his feed and
developed ferret squishies when I was in New Orleans.  Both are very close
to me, and come at the sound of my voice.  I have no scientific evidence,
but suspect ferrets are close to dogs in the loyalty category.
 
I know the thread on vacinations is closed, but this is a different type of
comment so maybe BIG will let it through.  I've visited nearly a hundred
foreign countries and have the passports and shot records to prove it.  I
work in dirt, and with old nasty bones (and some new nastier bones).  I do a
lot of surveying and field work which brings me in close contact with barbed
wire and broken glass.  I have taken the rabies series, and take a tetnus
booster once a year.  In short, I have had just about every vacination
possible.  My reactions to these shots have ranged from puncture pain to
systemic illness.  My nodes have enlarged, my arm has puffed up, my skin has
reddened and blistered, my temperature has increased, I have vomited, become
dizzy, and even--then administered typhus and typhoid togther--thought I
would die, and wanted too.  But I somehow survive each traumatic experience,
as well as close contact with people infected with the diseases I was
vaccinated against.  They worked.
 
The bottom line is, without rabies vacination, you have nothing to help you
prevent the death of your ferret should it bite someone.  Without distemper,
your ferret could die (People are worried about ECE, but distemper terrifies
me, as well as scores of wildlife biologists.) No vaccine is 100% safe or
effective or without side effects.  That's the facts of life.  I think
dialogue concerning specific vaccines is valuble, but I agree with BIG that
statements slandering vaccine manufacturers or other individuals goes a bit
far.  This is an emotional issue discussed by people who have a tremendous
investment of love for their animals, and both sides work for the same goal,
which is a better and longer life for the fuzzies.  Perhaps instead of
yelling at each other.  0we should ask the on-line vets to get together and
post their opinions.  I trust them.
 
About strange colors in stools.  Bear loves jerky, and recently stole the
treat bag and consumed probably 1/4 lb of the stuff in one day.  That
evening, and into the next day, his stools were slightly runny and very
dark--similar to those exhibited by ferrets having gastrointestinal
bleeding.  It was the jerky, and cleared up with the "passage" of time (I
wasn't very worried; just didn't smell like GI bleeding).  The green in
runny stools is "unprocessed" bile, and the bird-seed effect is undigested
fats and food particles, and can be simulated with green dyes and sesamee
seeds, as Daye taught me after eating a gummy bear, and Stella after eating
part of a hamburger bun.  Once, just after we adopted her, Balistic stole a
spool of white thread and swallowed some of the pieces she chewed off.
Later, everyone thought she had a severe worm infestation.  If I have
doubts/worries, I don a pair of gloves, and look into the matter.  Worms
don't unravel.
 
Pam; if no one responds to adopt the two beasties you mentioned, let me
know, and I'll drive over and take them off your hands.  I wouldn't mind
doing some lab work at the Smithsonian anyway, so I could combine the two
into one trip, and maybe visit Paw Paw and the Foxes on the way home.
 
Bob and the 13 Pooper Foolers.
[Posted in FML issue 1548]