Dog food is okay as now and then thing, but because it lacks taurine long
term use can cause blindness and cardiomyopathy from taurine deprivation.
 
Great series, Bob!
 
Medical FAQs reminder: Pam Greene our MARVELOUS FAQs Keeper who works so
hard to keep all well informed has compiled, with the help of veterinary
experts and experienced owners, a series of INCREDIBLE ferret medical FAQs,
for your use and for the use of your vet.  Taken together they pretty much
comprise a book about diagnosing and effectively treating the medical
problems your ferret is most likely to incur.  To get these FAQs you can
contact either Pam or Bill Gruber.  Our vet did an exotics specialization at
the AMC and is impressed by them.  Steve and I have some veterinary texts
and about 15 years of experience with a number of ferrets but we still refer
back to these regularly.  They are top-notch!  If you don't have them then
you need them!  THANK YOU SO MUCH, PAM!
 
Dick, your new ferret book is out?  How can we get copies?
 
In reference to mention of CA "feral" ferret sightings -- there may also be
need of the quote marks around "ferret" many times.  The F&G folks in
Sybille, WY have had a horrid time with people reporting what they honestly
assumed were BBFs (Black Footed Ferrets) with the involved animals instead
being weasels or badgers at best, but even rodents and large carnivores
(including coyotes and some cats) have been mentioned by people who honestly
DID think they were ferrets!!!!  Keepers of shelters here have wound up with
weasels and minks more than a few times.  We were told of a loose ferret
which also turned out to be a mink (Our part of N.J.  has many of them.) and
fortunately were able to get it out of the window well with a makeshift
ramp, some gentle "brupp-brupp" noises, and a few steps backward.  Many
people know absolutely no biology, I suspect.
[Posted in FML issue 2087]