I was surfing around on the web, and I found a really interesting statement on a site run by a large animal hopspital in Florida. The article in question is a sort of "all about ferrets" one with a vet/medical slant. There are a few problems with the article (escaped ferrets might destroy crops? bahahaha! envisioning ferrets gleefully digging up a corn field), but the thing that made me sit up in my seat was the following: >"Ferrets do not have any identifiable blood types; if needed, blood from >a dog or preferably cat can be given to a ferret that needs a blood >transfusion." Article is at http://www.petvets.com/petcare/exotics.html I'm absolutely sure I'm not the only one who has done a mad scramble on more than one occasion to bring blood donor ferrets to vets in emergency cases. I'd do it again, it's a wonderful thing to do! But can ferrets really be given cat or even dog blood in a pinch? I'm thinking specifically of a case where our local club pulled together to get something like six ferrets for a critical case... A larger cat or dog could certainly provide a much larger volume of blood than a ferret - this could be lifesaving in cases where there simply aren't that many donor ferrets to be found on short notice. *That is, IF it's true.* I'm no vet or scientist, but I also can't remember reading anything like this is in any of the ferret medical texts (Fox, Pink book). So, has anyone ever heard this before? Or better yet, has anyone's ferret ever received anything besides ferret blood for a transfusion? Totally befuddled, -Pam S. [Posted in FML issue 2979]