> From: CT Hart <[log in to unmask]> > How old does a ferret need to be before some of these genetic problems > begin to surface? Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the information > exchange that happens here, but reading this mailing would give a person > second thoughts about owning one of these adorable creatures. You should generally start looking out for geriatric problems at about 4 years. And, you are absolutely right. We do tend to dwell on the morbid side of ferret ownership. But, obviously we all have an enormous amount of fun with our little furries, or we wouldn't be owners. We used to have a lot of "cute" stories on the list, I don't know what happened. I hope everyone realizes that although we do discuss serious stuff here, this isn't just a forum for medical and care information. If your ferret has particularly cute habits or did something funny yesterday, let us know. Also, we say what we do about convenience ferrets because we want people to own happy healthy ferrets, so we would prefer that you buy whole ferrets and let them become sexually mature before you alter them, and buy from breeders who breed for health and longevity instead of trying to get funky colors. We are not trying to send those of you who already own convenience ferrets to an early nervous breakdown. But, also, owners have to be aware of the special problems of their own pets, so convenience ferret owners need to be aware that just because their ferret is only 3 or 4 doesn't mean that they aren't already experiencing geriatric problems. One of our major goals is giving you information so that you can get your ferret diagnosed as early as possible if something SHOULD happen. We are NOT sayint that it is DEFINATELY going to happen, just because you happen to own a convenience kit. Case in point, I am fully aware of the problems with Marshall Farms. This Christmas I went on a rescue and picked up a lovely little 12 week old albino girl with the 2 blue dots in her ear. I fell in love and adopted her 2 days later on Christmas day. So, although I would never go to a pet store and buy a Marshall Farms baby, I don't feel so strongly about it that I kept it from bringing Popcorn into our family. It saddens me a little to think that fate may have shortened her life span a few years by giving her the wrong parents, but I will treasure every second I have with her until that time comes. And, there's nothing obviously wrong with her at this time. In fact she has one of the prettiest coats I've ever seen on a ferret. > All this constant talk about feline food... Doesn't anybody use > "ferret food"? There are several brands sold in Colorado, is there > something I should know about using this stuff? There hasn't been a whole lot of research put into ferret foods. There are one or two that are pretty decent on the market, though. Purina makes a good one, but you have to have it trucked in in 25 lb bags. Purina's Mini Friends Ferret Chow (in plastic tub) has too much corn in it, and has been known to cause prolapsed rectums in kits - aside from that it's O.K. Kaydee (or is it Kaytee???), in white cardboard cannister with really ugly ferret on the front, is about the best that is easily available. But, I've seen some that are downright awful, I don't remember the name but there's one that comes in a clear plastic bag that is made from fish. NEVER give a fish based food to ferrets! The reason that I don't automatically recommend ferret food is that it usually tastes very bland, and ferrets generally don't like it nearly as much as the more flavorful cat foods. Also, almost every pet store in the country carries Iams, Science Diet, and/or Pro Plan. It's much harder to find a pet store that carries Kaydee ferret food. [And some vets consider ferret food to be a ripoff.] > - We all know the hazards of feeding a carpetshark milk, but does anyone > actaully know why? Are "lactose-free" products okay for them, or are We discussed this a while back. I'm not sure that we ever really answered the question. I've heard both lactose and butterfat as being the possible culprits. > - Does anyone know a good vet in the Colorado Springs area? I've a vet > I feel pretty good about up in Fort Collins, but I need to find one > down south here, just in case. Here are the names I have listed for CO, try giving them a call to see if they can recommend anyone: Colorado Ferret Rescue Rita Yaroush (303)444-7364 PO Box 11216 Boulder, CO 80301 Colorado Ferret Contact Kevin R. Craig (303)795-3414 930 East Phillips Lane Littleton, CO 80122 > - I read something here awhile back that mentioned "declawing" - is this > a common practice? My old roommate's declawed cat seemed perfectly > healthy and happy, what is the general belief about this in terms of > our little friends? Ferrets do not have retractable claws, nor do they sharpen them. So declawing is ABSOLUTELY UNNECESSARY!!! Declawing is considered as ferret abuse in all the ferret groups that I know of. Declawed ferrets are not allowed in shows, and if you are a member of a group and declaw a ferret you would most likely be banned for life. (if you adopt a ferret that is already declawed, they might consider it a handicapp and allow you to show the ferret. But I'm sure you would need considerable proof. Don't quote me on that, though, it's just speculation.) > From: [log in to unmask] (C-Shell Super User) > has slightly more vitamin A. Actually, Ferretone has *MUCH* less vitamin A > (something in the magnitude of 3 or 4 zeros difference). The old limits that My (admittedly fairly old, it may have changed) bottles have the following: Ferretone (per fl. oz.): A - 8939 IU D3 - 1539 IU E - 61.6 IU Linatone for dogs (per fl. oz.): A - 8800 IU D3 - 700 IU E - 8.8 IU So, unless they've changed formulas, ferretone actually has MORE of the fat soluable vitamins! I would be overjoyed if ferretone did cut back on A, D, and E while keeping the fatty acids. If they did change, someone please type in the new values! - Nancy Nancy Hartman CIS graduate student [log in to unmask] U. of Delaware President and founder, Delaware Valley Ferret Club Owner of Percy, Bree, & Popcorn, the ferrets [Posted in FML issue 0452]