To add to Sulkie's comment on heartworms on the more laid back bulkier ferrets. Heartworms are dominate here in the Texas area. People should not be feeling secure that since their ferrets are inside, they aren't exposed - Mosquitoes don't know they are not allowed inside. They are pretty well fatal for cats and ferrets as their veins, arteries are too small to pass the remains if you try to treat the infestation and ONE worm is fatal. We just lost a little girl who had escaped her foster home on more than one occasions and we placed her in another foster home not realizing her problem, she looked great. Not long after it was discovered she had a heartworm, he paid for the procedure to treat the condition but lost her within another month or two. ITS NOT EXPENSIVE to use preventative measures to protect your ferrets - you do not have to use the same expensive medications for the dogs or cats. Most vets will mix you up some liquid Ivermectin where you give 1/10th of a cc per pound orally once a month. It's cheap and it is two fold. You weigh your ferret every month (you can use the postage meter or the weight thingy used for dieters) (a drop of ferratone while they are sitting in a preweighed bowl will be pretty accurate). You will also be handling your ferret in more of an observation mode than when playing - if you keep a log, you can see your ferret's various weight changes and you'll be looking for unusual lumps or sores, or problems you might not notice while in play mode and get to the problem before it manifests itself into a life or death situation. It's a great tool for many reasons. Also a good idea to look at the teeth too at this time. I am afraid all too often the teeth are overlooked in the care of our little 4 legged lovebugs and its one of the things which wears out faster than the rest of the body. Millie and her ferrets and Danes www.txferretrescue.org [Posted in FML 7028]