> From: [log in to unmask] > Date: Tue, 1 Mar 1994 20:52:21 -0500 > Subject: Beer? Heather, tell your sister that Reba should NOT be allowed to have beer. It sounds like she's having much more than an occasional swallow, and there's nothing in beer that's any good for a ferret. Your sister and her roommate are going to have to be a little more careful with their housekeeping. If Reba is drinking from half-empty cups and punching holes in cans, she's probably getting enough alcohol to cause damage -- just remember how much smaller she is than a human, and factor accordingly! NO BEER FOR FERRETS. > Tarra Lindborg > > PS Dr. Williams: > Peanut has been losing all her hair, she is a little ball of peach > fuzz! Is this normal? Tarra, losing fur is a common problem, frequently discussed on the FML. If Peanut is losing hair on more than her tail, i.e. all up her back and neck, she could very well have an adrenal tumor. She should see a vet pronto. Good luck on your choir tour. > --------------------------------------- > From: CT Hart <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: Kansas Case > Date: Wed, 2 Mar 1994 11:34:32 -0500 CT, see FML #742 for the most recent McDowell update. In reference to my long post -- > [deleted three copies of the above paragraph.] Sorry, Chris, I didn't realize the paragraph had repeated. I'll check more closely next time! > IMHO, there is really no excuse for keeping a ferret if you cannot care for it, > and you are certainly not doing the ferret a favor. When your circumstances > improve, you can "make it up" by going back to that shelter and giving a proper > home to some other wonderful waif that needs one. Howard (and Ann, too), this is indeed a tough stand, and one difficult for some of us to voice. Thanks for stating it, however bluntly. We DO need to remind each other of this regularly. > On other fronts, I was disturbed to hear about Marshall farms selling ferrets > to laboratories. I recently requested a black-eyed white from there--now I'm > queasy. Does anyone have more info? I'd rather go to a local shelter or > breeder than have to worry about fuzzies in l > laboratories. I realize that > there are plenty of valid reasons for laboratory research, however... well... Gayle and Michael, Sometimes we forget that what some of us know (and have known a long time) is not necessarily as common knowledge as we think. Yes, Marshall Farms does breed ferrets for research. In fact, they were breeding ferrets for research years before they began selling them to the pet trade. They are probably the largest commercial ferret breeder in the U.S. If you would rather not support them because of your opposition to animal research, you should find another source -- a ferret shelter is a good alternative, and there are plenty of them out there. To get a copy of the STAR*Ferret shelter/vet/club list, send e-mail to: [log in to unmask] with the single line message GET FERRET DATABASE and you'll receive it by return mail. Personally, I am not opposed to all animal research -- my father used to do cancer research on rats, and I believe it was valuable work. Meanwhile, animal research also benefits animals -- how else did we get a rabies vaccine tested for ferrets? And how else will we be able to find out the rabies virus shedding period for ferrets? How else will we find an eventual cure for lymphosarcoma? This should not be construed as a defense of all animal research, but I definitely do not favor a complete ban. But like I said, if you are against it and don't want to support Marshall Farms, there are other sources available to you. > From: Brad Laraway <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: Re: CA Resident (fwd) > Date: Wed, 2 Mar 1994 16:07:39 -0500 Brad, thanks for the addendum -- I'll post that to CompuServe today. Tell Cindi that Jot can feel free to contact me on CompuServe as well -- my ID number there is 71257,3153 > From: DTHOMASON <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: mh7 in issue 742 > Date: Wed, 2 Mar 1994 20:59:40 -0500 Debra, from what I understand, the McDowells' ferret Longtail was NOT vaccinated for rabies, as the McDowells' vet did NOT KNOW that there was a rabies vaccine approved for ferrets. (However, Longtail had had no contact with anyone outside the McDowell family prior to this incident, and there is NO WAY he could have been exposed to the virus.) > On a cheerier note, while I talking to the veterinarian, he happened to > mention that ferrets are going to become legal in Michigan in April. This > would be wonderful if it were true, but I'm still incredulous because I hadn't > heard anything about it before. Can anybody out there confirm that that is > definitely true, or dispell the rumor? Julie, I have heard nothing about this, and I had a good long talk with Pam Grant of STAR*Ferrets yesterday. My suggestion would be to contact Micki Wingate of the Great Lakes Ferret Association, 27654 South Pointe, Grosse Ile, MI 48138, 313-587-3959. She should be able to tell you the latest. Once you find out, please post to the FML what you find out! --------------------- Katie Fritz Small Mammals Section Leader/CompuServe Pets/Animals Forum Internet: [log in to unmask] CompuServe: 71257,3153 [Posted in FML issue 0746]