Rachel,
 
I have Lyme disease.  I don't live in the traditional "endemic" areas but
in the midwest.  Contrary to popular belief, birds, not deer, are the
major carriers of the tick responsible for spreading this disease.  It
took over 8 years for my tortuously painful and debilitating illness to
be diagnosed because many doctors don't believe it is a real illness.
If most vets are like most doctors, it could be difficult to persuade
one to perform the Lyme titer, but it is definitely worth it if you can
have the test performed!
 
Many animals can get the disease although I have not come across a
specific reference to ferrets.
 
 From "Coping with Lyme Disease," by Denise Lang:
"Dr. Dorothy Feir, entomologist and professor of biology at Saint Louis
University, points to Lyme disease as the cause of blindness in kangaroos
at the Saint Louis Zoo......In Wisconsin, California, Connecticut, and
Missouri, researchers and veterinarians are studying the transmission of
Lyme disease among dairy and beef cattle.......Dr. Barry Lissman was the
first individual to discover and report clinical findings on Lyme disease
in dogs........."
 
Not all animals will show a telltale bulls-eye mark (actually, only about
a third of infected humans show this mark), so the signs to watch your
pets for include: arthritis (lameness), lethargy, sudden onset of severe
pain, fever, loss of appetite, depression, other temperament and
personality changes.
 
I know, the list seem pretty vague.  But there is a reason Lyme disease
is called "the great imitator."  The symptoms can match up with a lot of
other illnesses, but a good vet (or doctor for all of you bi-peds!) can
draw a little blood, send it off to the lab, and get a definitive answer
for you.
 
Good luck!
Debi
[Posted in FML issue 4096]