Dear Anonymous,
You're a nutcase, but the GOOD kind.  I am happy to hear how well that poor
ferret is doing.
 
FYI, for years we had pet rats.  Then when I got a feeder rat, a tiny,
malnourished, frightened, nipping baby from a reptile/fish 'pet' store,
from a cage crammed with baby rats in a dark, hot, closet, our rat world
slid out of control.  These poor critters are kept under rotten conditions
and as a result, virtually all of them are infected with mycoplasma, which
is a lot like tuberculosis in humans, except deadlier and faster.  EVERY
SINGLE RAT of ours eventually succumbed to mycoplasmosis.  Emily, Sonia,
Luna, Gus, and Emilio have died, in spite of heavy duty antibiotics and a
lot of vet visits.  Bonnie, Daphne and Persephone have the symptoms now.
After these three die, no more rats.  (There have been times when I've felt
like going back to that reptile store and punching someone.)
 
Why I'm telling y'all this--I asked our ferret vet if ferrets could get
mycoplasma.  He said it could happen, although it wasn't common.  I don't
know what it'd do to ferrets, but it is devastating in rats.  Your little
reptile store ferret was probably exposed to mycolplasma, so you might want
to ask your vet about this.
 
Best of luck to you,
Jacqueline
[Posted in FML issue 2592]