Mr. Bossart:
 
Being a Maryland ferret owner myself, I was very concerned by your posting
in yesterday's FML concerning the kit who is scheduled to be euthenized.
Your posting was compassionate, but there were several problems with it:
 
1.  The information you provided on the case was sketchy at best.  You made
no mention of the name of the families involved (owner or bite victim), nor
did you include a rather vital piece of information -- did the ferret kit
break the skin of the girl it bit?
 
2.  You alluded to "European studies showing an 8 day period from the first
symptoms to death in a ferret who has been injected with the rabies virus."
However, you did not provide a publication source for said studies, which
makes that information virtually useless in an discussion -- one cannot
simply say, with any credibility, "well, I heard about some European
studies which apparently show blah blah blah."  Especially when speaking to
a Vet or his staff.  In addition, do these studies you cite show a definite
incubation period for the disease between injection and the onset of the
first symptoms?
 
3.  Who are the "Local ferret people" who convinced County authorities not
to euthanize the kit?  Once again, it is very difficult to bring this up in
a discussion without knowledge of the facts.
 
4.  The number you posted for Dr. Jack Grigor is incorrect.  The proper
number, if you wish to speak with the Vet himself, is (410) 225-6711.
 
 
Despite the most obvious shortcomings of your impassioned post, I did call
the number you posted (only to be told that Dr. Grigor was reachable at the
number above), and eventually reached Dr. Grigor's office.  As he was not
in, I spoke with one Suzanne Albert, who is a nurse.
 
She was very polite, although she would not discuss the particulars of any
case with me, especially as I had no definite information regarding the
people involved.  This made it very difficult to express my concern, and I
was reduced to hypotheticals -- that is, telling her that, "should there be
a case such as I have described, I would be very concerned with the actions
of the animal welfare authorities and would like to go on the record with
my dissatisfaction."  I don't need to tell you that that was not a very
forceful expression of my concern; however, given the limited amount of
information you provided, it was the best I was able to do.
 
Don't get me wrong -- as a ferret-person, I think it's great that people
take an interest in the welfare of ferrets nationwide, but if one is going
to make a broad request such as the one you posted on the FML, it would be
prudent to arm one's troops with the appropriate -- and *necessary* --
information.
 
 
---  Jenny Foreit
     [log in to unmask]
 
p.s.  Do you actually have the sources for the studies you cited?  Ms.
Albert seemed willing to read them, if I were to provide her with the
sources.
[Posted in FML issue 1079]