Many thanks to all of you who replied to my posting about Dexter with words of encouragement and concern. I very much appreciated it. The other day Philip and I brought Dexter home for a bath and he was very content to be shampooed and washed, even though his paws must have stung. Well, when we dried him and put him down, his war dance brought tears to my eyes - this boofy young fellow with feet like clown's shoes boinking around the room, obviously full of the joys of life! It was truly wonderful. I have some questions and would be most grateful if any folk can help me. When Dexter first came to us, his coat was an awful nicotine-yellow colour and after a week of eating properly, it's becoming much paler. Has anyone else experienced this sort of thing? Is it connected to the diet or not? Sarcoptic mange causes the skin to grow furiously. Since having his shots of Ivermectin, the pads on his feet have *dried* up and it looks like he has calluses. I was told to put his paws in water to soak them then scratch the hard skin off. Can anyone suggest a suitable cream/ointment that would do the same thing gently? I read in a previous FML about brewer's yeast being good for their coats and skin. Dexter is extremely itchy and he has *groove* marks on either side of his body from scratching his fur. Do you think brewer's yeast will help him and how many tablets should I give him per day. Last but not least - I was told by a farmer who has bred ferrets for 25 years that if there are *rings* around a ferret's eyes, ie no fur so it looks like the ferret's wearing goggles, it's a sign of worms. Our vet scoffed at this and I must say I can't see any evidence in Dexter's litter box. Anyone else hear of this or is it an old wives' tale? Many thanks and dooks to you all from your Aussie cousins! Nona The Ferret Centre [Posted in FML issue 1629]