We are expecting a post from a wonderful FHL member whose personal ferret helped find the answer to the puzzle of coughing ferrets (but sadly did not survive) in the Pacific NW who had been sold by Real Canadian Ferrets. Ferrets from the involved breeder are thought to have been sold in Canada, the U.S. Pacific NW (Alaska, Oregon, and Washington), and Japan. To refer people to the article (which I have to get time to read through, having many human and ferret family demands right now) it is session 158 of the Association of Avian Veterinarians (which I think is now technically the Association of Avian and Exotic Veterinarians) and is titled: A Novel Mycoplasma lsolated from Pet Ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) by Cathy A. Johnson-Delaney, DVM, Dipl ABVP (avian), Dipl ABVP (Exotic Companion Animal) Matti Kiupel, Dr. Med Vet, BS, MS, PhD, Dipl ACVP and Michael M. Garner, DVM, Dipl ACVP By all appearances the ferrets are arriving with the illness rather than acquiring it later. (Some questions arising are: Are pregnant females more susceptible; are kits more susceptible; what other factors are involved in acquiring the illness?) So, if you are in an involved area and got a coughing kit from that breeder or know of a pet store which has such kits have them consider this possible cause. More should follow from people who know much, much more than I do about the situation. Sukie (not a vet) Recommended ferret health links: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/ http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html http://www.miamiferret.org/ http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/ http://www.ferretcongress.org/ http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html all ferret topics: http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html "All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow." (2010, Steve Crandall) [Posted in FML 6793]