Emily, if it is not panting but a "heh, heh, heh" noise when very active and happy then that is laughter. A lot of ferrets do that. Training: Bob is entirely right about people NEEDING to have training by their vet or vet techs assigned by the vet on how to do some procedures. As he said, giving fluids is one of those things. So is "syringe" feeding because of the very real risk of aspiration pneumonia if it is done wrong. BTW, we have found that there are other things which give been control on that score (Hence, "syringe" with quotes...) with our own favorite being this: http://www.apothecaryproducts.com/catalogue/product.asp? CatID=1&SubCatID=14&ProdID=67032 due to EXCELLENT control, easy fill, easy clean, etc. Second best for control that we have found in almost 22 years with ferrets has been a small squeeze bottle on one type with the tip cut to be wider. Honeslty, though, it is a LOT better to take one's time, sing and talk to the ferret, stay calm (or the ferret will stop eating) and just finger or spoon feed heated foods. There is a GREAT write-up by a ferret vet on feeding sick ferrets at: http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html Anyway, the maxim: "When in doubt have a vet check it out" also includes procedure techniques: sub-cutaneous fluids, feeding when a ferret won't eat, etc. Mystery things: Notice that the mystery illness seen in the ferret at Ferret Haven "By-the-Sea" has been a different mystery illness (and the Ferret Haven one might not be a mystery anymore given what worked) than the one under investigation which is a sepsis problem (and sometimes a cellulitis one) with high spiking fevers. (BTW, The last "mystery Illness" was a mutation of coccidia which killed a number of ferrets and that was able to be stopped in its tracts with that mutation seeming to be gone through careful follow-through.) The goal, of course, is always to take the mystery out and use what is learned to have solutions. I have to also admit to liking the new and very funny "Along Came Polly" ad with the real ferret as "Best Ferret in a Drama" and the mock-up ferret on wheels as "Best Ferret in a Comedy". Whoever put that commercial together did good work! [Posted in FML issue 4408]