This chapter on sailing with ferrets will deal with food, medication and
health.
 
I left the States with quite a cargo of ferret food sealed in Tupperware
containers.  Previously, I had measured their monthly consumption and was
able to predict that we had enough food for about 4 months.  The food was
kept in the dryest part of the boat and has shown no evidence of spoilage.
Friends who visit know that their job may be to bring additional food for
the critters.  Also, dry cat food has been available almost everywhere.
Although I haven't had to use it, it was comforting to know it was possible
to extend the food supplies if necessary.  I am fortunate in that the boys
are not picky eaters.  I have even tried mixing several brands of food to
see which they prefer and they always seem to eat whatever is on top.
 
Immunization was a subject that I discussed thoroughly with my vet as it was
another item that would probably need to be transported by friends.  He was
willing to communicate with other vets in order to assure our supply.  This
has worked out well for the first time as my sister would have been able to
obtain the vaccines from her local vet.  As it turned out, I am unexpectedly
in the States and will be able to carry the meds myself.  The only problem
is keeping them cool during the transport.  I have some blue ice, an
insulated lunch bag and numerous containers for ice if I need to beg it from
the airlines or any other place.  I am able to give the shots myself (my vet
taught me the last time the guys had shots).  The only weak point here is
that I do not have an official vaccination certificate.  I have a receipt
for the vaccines and a letter from my own vet stating that he prescribed
them and that he had full confidence that they were correctly administered.
 
Other preventative measures deal with fleas and heartworm.  We really don't
have a flea problem because the guys are rarely off the boat.  I have used
Advantage ( a half of a small tube per ferret) in a case where a visiting
cat left us some fleas and again when we stayed in a hotel where the same
thing happened.  I try to put the Advantage high enough on the neck so it
isn't likely to be chewed on during wrestling matches.  Initially I was much
more concerned about heartworm because everything I had read to date didn't
offer a ready solution.  One of the problems was that the dosages in pills
was too big for ferrets and the effective ingredient wasn't evenly
distributed in the pills, making it unwise to give a ferret part of a pill.
This problem was solved in Florida.  I had an article from the Ferret FAQ
about Dr. Kemmerer's research on the problem.  The Florida vet contacted Dr.
Kemmerer who recommended what, to me, was a new product - kitten size feline
Heartguard.  I think this is essentially correct, but check it out for
yourself as the meds are on the boat and I am unable to read the labels.
Getting a ferret to eat the tablets is another story.  I manage this by
smashing them to smithereens, coating liberally with Linatone and dispensing
over a period of a few days with the unused portion stored in a little
plastic container in the refrigerator.  My friends laugh because I have
these little plastic lids labeled "Chubie" and "Dunkin" in order to be sure
each gets the proper dose.  When the lids are used for other things, people
claim that I am feeding them ferret food.
 
We haven't yet had any serious medical emergencies, but Chubie did have a
problem that necessitated finding a vet.  We were on Roatan in the Bay
Islands of Honduras where the only veterinarian is one who visits once a
month from the mainland.  Chubie developed a deep, wet sounding cough and
was sneezing a lot (even for a nosey ferret).  He didn't have a runny nose
or any other symptoms of a cold so I was really worried.  Pet owning friends
on the island told me how to get in touch with the vet in La Ceiba and the
next day Chubie and I were on the airplane (a 15 minute flight).  Dr.
Calderon diagnosed an upper respiratory infection, gave Chubie a shot, and
sent us home with some pills and another shot to be given a few days later.
He also did blood and stool tests, sending the samples by bicycle to a
nearby lab and getting the results back in less than two hours.  Of course,
I had many misgivings.  After all, how could a vet trained in Honduras know
anything about ferrets.  What if it's a virus?  What if it is some other
exotic ferret disease?  Where is Dr. Harris when I need him?  Why don't I
have a ferret medical book written in Spanish?  (Does anyone know if there
is such a thing?)  But, to make a long story a little less long, the
diagnosis must have been correct as Chubie recovered and has been fine
since.  All of this to my immense relief!
 
This is all the factual stuff that I have to tell you, but I would like to
do another post tomorrow telling you of some of our adventures.  If you have
questions about what I have written, please email me ASAP.  If you have
suggestions of things I might do or maybe haven't considered, please email
me even sooner.  I would like to hear your opinions or ideas.
 
Shirley, Chubie and Dunkin' on Chelsea B
[Posted in FML issue 2240]