When I was in my 20s and first developed a number of allergies beyond the two I'd had since childhood I first had an anaphylactic reaction that drove Steve and I from a dinner party early and almost killed me (in my case to two foods served), then a few months afterward I began allergic rhinitis, with asthma joining in about a year later after a bout of atypical pneumonia and pleurosy. The later additions were not caused in any way by the first reaction; the first reaction was just the herald that my body was having its immune system begin to over-react to some things, mistaking them for invaders as happens with allergies, and my immune system just broadened its scope in that regard. If allergies, it can be hard to find what the cause is: could be any number of things and especially ones to which the individual has had a long history of exposure. Allergen lists change for an individual over time, so don't be surprised if there wind up being additions to the list over the years. If it's mild then at least there is no rush; someday you will notice a pattern and try eliminating something and that will work. Meanwhile, though, in case there is a problem other than mild allergies the vet exams make complete sense. Broken hip: the folks at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ferret-Health-list may prove helpful for you, also those at http://www.doggon.com. While at the FHL (or using the FML archives as per the instructions in the FML header) look up how to make a pantyhose sling in posts # 8752 and 8702, and discuss that with your vets. Holiday hazards article by a vet: http://www.ferretsanonymous.com/medical/bdl_holiday.html Here are main U.S. resources: http://guide.labanimal.com/product/category1.html . For ferrets it lists and gives addies and links for MF and for Triple F. The latter is mentioned in relation to ferrets, dogs, and cats. MF is mentioned for dogs and ferrets but their webpage has a mention of cats at one point. Yes, this is a concern, but it's a tricky call. The horror-story research projects make the headlines and folks tend to think that most research is like that, which is like the misconceptions that rage when the rare biting ferret makes the headlines. Suddenly some folks think that ferrets are baby-eaters and want to ban them. Much research is quite benign and the animals treated well, but some is not, from my observations in college. Of course, it may be different in other settings, but it's a good sign that at least some of the ferrets used to develop influenza vaccines or used to teach how to intubate an infant or a premmie have been adopted out to loving homes. That is a trend I'd like to see continue. Some which is not benign as experiments later saves many lives -- four or two footed. In the 1970s a group of primatologists tried to get together a resource which would help with the sharing of research animals (which does happen but could be increased) as a move to decrease the total number of animals used in research. At the time it wasn't feasible, but with use of the Internet it may now be a do-able project as a way to decrease the total. There is also a non-MF farm that had recently been selling fur from ferrets -- according to what another non-MF farm told me about this competitor (NOT verified so don't know, though I do know that at one point it was partly a fur farm.), and have heard of some smaller ferret farms doing that but have not verified. There is also yet another farm from which we brought two ferrets home with one quick peek at them by vet and had the entire household break with ECE. That was around 4 and 1/2 years ago. There wound up being a series of people who said the same thing about ferrets they had picked up there or had sent directly from the farm, but I haven't heard any such reports in a while now, so they might have shut down breeding and sales long enough to let the disease pass beyond the contagious stage at their facility -- don't know. Our case may have been picked up at the vet's but since others had it happen around the same time I have to wonder rather than conclude. It seems to me that there are a lot of unsubstantiated rumors out there and I think that readers should be careful to note: 1. what is not verified, 2. what is said by competitors, 3. what is said by a source that may have an interest in being less than forthright (like some stores and some distributors), 4. what may have changed over time, 5. etc. :-) [Posted in FML issue 3629]