Carol wrote:
>scent plays such a major role in dominance issues.  *The smelliest
>ferret always wins* is the way I heard it expressed.
 
Yes, stink is status!
 
Scent also plays a role in those "accidently on purpose" presents in
places like door thresholds...
 
Tender thought to those who have recently lost ferrets.  The health and
ad posts make an interesting juxtaposition to the lost fur angel posts.
Who was it who said, "Pray to Heaven for the dead and fight like Hell
for the living!" Mother(?) --------- (????????) ; shoot, she was an
interesting historical figure with strong influence.
 
Well, said, Mary!  It's so true, if we don't take care of our own health
we don't have the strength to care for anyone else's.  Also true is that
saving money for those rainy days when high vet bills come up is both a
stress reducer and a life saver.  Until I was more used to always saving
and keeping a budget book I'd think of those savings as money I didn't
spend on something I didn't need: "Well, here's $20 I didn't spend on one
more blouse.", "Well, here's some savings instead of another knickknack
to dust." Time and effort put into one's own well-being are the same:
time that isn't instead spent suffering.  They are all simply pathways
which allow more happy self-sovreignty in life.  There are enough things
which none of us can avoid that we don't need to be like those who lose
(too often surrender) control over their lives to avoidable consequences.
 
Right now, with this year having had deaths and near deaths in our family
of multiple humans and ferrets, plus losing the Labs which was our source
of income we have a strong feel what is not avoidable.  Yet, in this same
time frame we had one family member almost die four times, each from
separate and avoidable causes: failure to check into the safety of a
medication which instead became a poison when used too long without
moderation, failure to control his diet to match his physical needs,
failure to exercise leading to vascular clots, etc.  Life has enough
burdens all on its own without creating more.
 
Take care of yourselves, ferret people; you are WORTH it!  Besides, if
you don't who will take care of the fuzzies?
 
I am still tracking down more vets with any experience with Level 3
(Complete) A/V Heart Node Block in ferrets.  Have found fewer than a
handful, but that few help.  Where we are with Sevie's maintenance is to
be found in the Ferret Health List (Files section and then later posts
which can be found with the search engine), and there is info there on
this condition and medications such as Aminophylline and Enacard for
those who need it rapidly, due to this being rare, so hard to learn
about, and so very, very dangerous.  Further vet leads who have also had
successes on maintenance are welcome for communication with our treating
vet, Joe Martins of Bellemead AH in New Jersey.
 
Sukie
For ferret health information:
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth (Ferret Health List)
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/ (easy to search FHL Archives)
http://geocities.com/sukieslist (in need of updating, links for
health concerns)
[Posted in FML issue 3881]