Speaking of phone calls....
 
I got a frantic call from Eydie just last night about one of the ferrets she
was boarding (had just arrived at her home a few hours before) who was
pooping blood!!!  There was obviously *alot* of internal bleeding.  I said
rush the kid to the vet NOW!  She did, it turns out Max had eaten carrots a
few days before.  Eydie found them in his stool, along with the blood.
Carrots are FIBER !!!
 
Read my lips folks, ***FERRETS CANNOT DIGEST FIBER***
 
These cute treats they are so fond of can **KILL** them!!!
 
Ferrets cannot digest most vegetable matter, their teeth are pointed, thus,
it is obvious that they are **carnivores** they need meat and animal fat,
NOT cucumbers, carrots, potatoes, bell peppers, or any other vegetable.
 
Max had swallowed a piece of carrot that, though small, was undoubtedly
large enough to injure his intestinal tract as it worked its way through.
The truth is Max was LUCKY!  It could more easily have caused a blockage
that would have killed him.  All for a so-called **treat**.
 
The vet found a ruptured colon.  After a very upsetting evening spent at the
vets, Max went home with instructions to feed him a soft diet for several
days and watch him closely.  Eydie is feeling better, I am feeling better,
and Max is feeling better, but it was a scare that none of us needed, I am
sure no one else wants to go through this very frightening experience
either, especially if only to learn it could have been prevented.  It turns
out that Max's owner did not give him carrots as treats, but Max and his
partner in crime Gangus had stolen a bag of baby carrots a few days before.
The owner has learned to be more careful with these things, and I am not
directing this at her at all, it is directed at those peope who insist on
giving inappropriate treats to their ferrets.
 
Hairball medicine, Ferretone mixed with virgin olive oil, an occasional
raisin (though with lots of one of the first two items mentioned, as even
raisins can cause blockage, they get 2 rasins, once a week at most), small
bits of cooked chicken meat, meat baby foods, and occasionally some banana
baby food as a "sweet" treat, is ALL I ever offer these kids.  I have enough
"scares" in what I do, and my vet bills are high enough *without* my giving
them something that has great potential for causing problems, and emergency
surgeries.
 
Okay, I will step off my soap box now, sorry I got so upset, but this is
just something that everyone should be aware of.
 
We (speaking of all fuzzy owners) have been entrusted as caretakers of one
on the sweetest, smartest, most loving, and wonderful creatures in the
world, we have to take that as the great responsibility that it is.  We
sometimes have to let better judgement override the urge to offer
inappropriate treats.
 
Kisses to all the fuzzies.
 
Trish
Director, Ferrets First Rescue & Shelter
[Posted in FML issue 1648]