Hi
 
First off a quick note to say I hope the ferrets on milk thing doesn't
run into a huge argument.  I generally would not give milk to a ferret
(except in certain cases that have, for me, not yet arisen) but there are
many people in the UK who feed ferrets on milk based foods.  This may
have long term implications but in the short term seems to work.  I was
aware that US ferrets seem to be intolerant while the case here is
different.
 
As for Mat and his sick babies, I have been mailing him off list and
provided advice and a number of recipes for soft foods taken from the
archives.  Last I heard, they had stopped vomiting and stools had
stiffened.
 
Can I just say that I think Mat did well coming to the list for help and
I hope his weasels live long and happy lives.  He may have made a mistake
but don't we all.  The important thing is he cared enough to do something
and spend time doing the right thing.
 
I first joined the list when one of mine was sick and I was worried about
doing so.  I had heard (and have since seen) that a new comer who has
made a mistake often receives very harsh and aggressive posts or posts
that are far too complicated to take in.  My ferret was ill because I
asked the vet for a Gill jab and he claimed never to have heard of one
and could see no reason why she would need one.  She died some years ago
now.
 
I received a number of very helpful posts for which I am ever grateful
but I also received a number of aggressive, threatening and un helpful
posts.  These do not serve to aid the sick animal.
 
Equally Mat asked a very specific question, as did I all those years back
but some of the posts returned were extremely complex covering a wide
range of issues that were irrelevant at the time.  To a new keeper these
potentially hold nothing but confusion of issues and with this the
potential to disguise valuable advice in a shroud unrelated subject
matter.
 
Is it not better to answer the specific question, fix the problem at hand
and then move on to the wider issue of general ferret care?
 
Just one view.
 
W.
[Posted in FML issue 4388]