>From:    Sheila Crompton <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Nursing jills scenting, Brecon & Powys
>the kits were 3 wks old last Thursday.  Mums milk diet is now being
>supplimented with softened with boiling water and then mashed up
 
Our kits usually don't want "solid" food that early, but as soon as they
eat it we offer it to them.  What I mean is we don't have any that want it
that early (even our litter of English-Americans) but if they did we would
offer it.
 
What we use is much easier than day olds but not necessarily better.  We
take a can of Science Diet A/D or Science Diet Feline Growth and offer that.
As they age we start adding kibbled food (Totally Ferret) more and more
until it is most of the diet and then cut out the canned food.  I do not
know what Ferret Complete is though.  Or whether you mean the same thing as
kibble when you say biscuit.  Kibble is the dry kernel type pet food.
 
>From:    "Tracy L. Tunnison" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Sad news; singing to ferrets
>A quick question for Bill Killian: I don't disagree with your daughter's
>knowledge, but how could she tell the jill was spayed just by looking ...
 
If you see a lot of both whole and altered animals you can often see the
look of a ranch ferret.  Less developed.  Big clue is Marshall Tattoos.  It
is not easy with late altered hobby breeder ferrets.  I don't know the
specifics of who she knew with this one.  I trust her very much on this
though.
 
I would not subject a ferret to surgery to determine if a jill is spayed.
Wait and see if they go in season.  That would entail much care in placement
of questionable jills for a shelter but much less dangerous surgery.  IT is
very low danger but everytime you put a ferret under anathesia it puts it at
risk.  Everytime you put a ferret under the knife it is a bit higher risk.
Even with good vets there is a small danger.
 
If you get a ferret that looks well over a year old and it comes from "less
educated" ferret owners - you can probably guess it is spayed if it doesn't
have signs of having been through a real or false pregnancy such as swollen
nipples.  Not foolproof but with the aplastic anemia threat the jills over a
year old turned in have either been bred or spayed for the most part.
 
Of course this is all my opinion.  Feel free to make your own decisions.  I
encourage that.
 
>From:    Steve McGrane <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: So. MD Vets
 
Get in touch with Bay Area Ferret Funatics or even th Baltimore Ferret Club.
They can help you out.  I looked on the STAR* list and it is missing the
BAFF but Diane Rogers who can certainly point you the right direction is at
 
|Baltimore Ferret Club
|Diane Rogers
|2306 Pickwick Rd
|Baltimore, MD
|21207
|410-448-1281
 
And the AFA is a "contact" with no phone number?  Need some updates I guess.
|contact
|Ferret Contact
|A F A
 
>From:    Roberto <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: URGENT: Importation procedure
>I need to know what is necessary in order to import ferrets into the USA.
 
Not much.  You need more to get them on the plane than to get them into the
country.  Vet health certificate.  Rabies shot.  Distemper shot.  At least
thats all it took some European ferrets that I have to get in.  Talk to Lars
Erikson
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1659]