To Phil Gentry and other interested folks - I have noticed lately a lot of talk about chemicals that we use on ferrets. Here are a few thoughts and what I use at home - Petroleum distillates - NO Organophosphates - NO Carbamates - NO Pyrethrins - YES. I have been using pyrethrin-based shampoos on ferrets, puppies, and kittens (even under the age of one week) for years. They are very safe, and that is what I use on my own ferrets. Pyrethrins are derived from chrysanthemums. Actually, most pyrethrins are now made synthetically. Remember, everything is a chemical of some sort, and too much of anything can be toxic (even oxygen). Use pyrethrin-based compounds when needed (for fleas), if you don't need it, then use a mild shampoo - we have been using Johnson's Baby Shampoo at our house for years. To Pete and Ashley concerning colds: Yes, ferrets can pick up a human cold or flu. The flu generally last about two weeks, and shows the same signs as in humans - runny nose, cough, stuffed up head, aversion to light, watery eyes, etc. Some cases can progress to pneumonia if the infection is severe. When an animal has such a severe productive cough, I would suggest a trip to the vet to make sure it doesn't have pneumonia, or an unrelated problem - such as congestive heart disease. Antibiotic treatment f severely affected animals is a good idea. When our ferrets get colds - we will generally try to keep them isolated and out of the draft. We almost always start them on Amoxicillin for 7-10 days to prevent a bacterial infection from cropping up in an animal with a stressed immune system. Concerning allergy to Christmas tree - although it could happen - I've mixed Christmas trees and ferrets for years and apart from the usual disasters, I've never had a problem. To Art the Human who is facing an exploratory on his ferret: I've never put much faith in the insulin/glucose ratio in the ferret. Although in many cases it will be off the scale - in a lot of instances it will be non-contributory. A glucose of 42 is bad. If it was in one of my ferrets (I did have one in the fifties, once), I would go in. It's worth it to get a biopsy of that big spleen, but I'll bet you a dollar to a doughnut that there will be a pancreatic tumor in there also. Prednisone is generally only a short term solution. I know that $300 is a lot of money, but you seem like the kind of guy that will spend it if necessary. If I was in your shoes, and I have been from time to time, I would. To Judy concerning raisins - Yes, you are right. One or two raisins a day is tops for our guys, and they rarely get even that. Ferrets do not tolerate fiber very well, being true carnivores (would that they acted like that) and have a very short colon. Too much fiber gives them loose stools. Thanks for remembering.... And now to all of my friends on the list: I thought that I would step out of character with Christmas so close at hand, and talk about my ferrets for a moment (no, I don't just have a lot of books on ferrets for all of you who thought that). I've got six ferrets here in the house, and a wonderful wife who makes sure that they get all of their "quality time". In fact, her day doesn't even start until they have had their two hours of playtime with both humans and ferrets. Here's the list: 1. Oscar - the old man at 7, and we've had him for four years now. He's also a bit on the overweight side, due to his desire to eat baby food and grapes, as well as his usual chow. He's off to have his teeth cleaned tomorrow. He's an MF ferret, and has never had any health problems. And he's the most well-mannered of the bunch. 2. Yogi - 3 year old male sable - here with us for 2 and a half years. (BTW - all of our ferrets came from rescue shelters). Yogi is a mischeivous climber with a propensity for eating plastic - had surgery last year, and has perfected the blank look (although we never believe it because he is always up to something). 3. Mitt - Black eyed silver mitt - almost three - came here with Yogi. Loves my wife - loves to torment me. I can't hold him or even get out of the shower with him around. He may be the smartest - has devised many games to play with my wife and taught many of the others to dive for objects at the bottom of a shallow dish of water. 4. Bob - 4 year old black eyed silver mitt - Dumb as a post but lovable. Will do anything for Linatone. He's very vocal also, especially in the litter box. He can wake you up from a sound sleep in the middle of the night. Not everyone in the house gets along, but everyone tolerates Bob. 5. Murphy - The slinky sable - never makes any noise. Came to our house three months ago with Bob and Scampi. She doesn't seem to have much of a personality, but it's still early to tell. She spends most of her time sneaking around the place and running under furniture. 6. Scampi - A tiny (0.75 lbs.) blind sable. She came to us with an adrenal tumor and a pancreatic tumor, which have since been removed. She's grown back all of her hair and is a ball of fire (which hits the occasional wall dead-on). We got Bob, Scampi, and Murphy from a Secret Service agent whose schedule had become too difficult for him to pay them the proper attention. Tonight, we have our annual holiday event. One of the ferrets will get to put the star on top of the Christmas tree (okay, okay, so I help a little. Colleen operates the camera). This year it will probably be Oscar, as he is the oldest, and we are afraid he may not be around for next year's tree trimming. MacGregor did it two years ago, and Mouse one year ago - neither are still here, but we do have some wonderful memories. At this point, I just want to wish all of the members of the FML a very happy holiday season from me, my wife Colleen, and the rest of the Williams family. A special holiday wish to those who have lost ferrets this year, may the next year bring nothing but joy and happiness. I want to thank everyone for letting me chime in on the list this year, and hope that some of you have benefited from the comments that I have made here. The histopathology cases are starting to come in from around the country, but we are still far from being overloaded. (However, no more fecal samples, please!!! After three to five days in transit, well, you can imagine... When next I need feces, I'll let you know..) To my friends on the FML, my emailbox is always open, and my phone is always right there on my desk. Happy holidays!!! Bruce Williams, DVM [log in to unmask] (202) 576-2453/2454 [Posted in FML issue 0678]