Hello FML - >Melanie Hough <[log in to unmask]> >Subject: hairless belly >Cassidy had a splenectomy around Thanksgiving and recovered wonderfully but >his hair still hasn't completely grown back. How long should this take?... >Also, sometimes he acts like he is chewing but there isn't anything in >his mouth. HI Melanie - It is not unusual for it to take a very long time for fur to regrow after a ferret has had a shave prep for surgery. Fur will probably regorw with next coat change, so don't worry about this. However, since he had a spleenectomy - is chewing or grinding teeth -- think you might have a case of an ulcer there. Please get him back to the vet asap and you should have stool checked for occult blood, but based on symptoms, and because uclers are so common in ferrets - should start to treat for ulcer right away and be sure to follow the full regimen including re-check when course is complete. Let us know how he does. Hi Maggie - You must be very tired! For Ollie - would suggest taking him off "hard food" for a couple of days; give Duck Soup with just a little of "hard food" mixed in. I use an electric coffee grinder to powder it. But for patients who are having problems with digestive tract mostly give Ensure(or similar)/Pedialyte to get them over the "hump". Also might want to mix in some chicken baby food if you are not already doing this. Really good nutrient source and easy on the intestinal tract is STAT-vme or Pediatric STAT which you can get from your Vet.Perhaps a few days of rest on his digestive tract will help - hope so. Good luck and drop me a line! Shawn - Since your ferret is now 14 weeks old; and you really don't have history except for being told that one distemper vacinnation was adminstered- You should give your ferret the entire beginning series of three vaccinations with Canine Distemper Vaccine Only - Do not give feline - or anything else! After that, your ferret should be vaccinated annually. I prefer Galaxy-D others use Fervac. Either is acceptable (don't bother to flame anyone-most of the vets in this area prefer Galaxy-D too). Terry - I think I might know what is going on with Fester - I will e-mail you or if you wish - please call me a 703-765-4353. I hope by the time you read this he is doing much better. Bob (Mo' Bob) writes quite a bit about the os penis in ferrets and boners in other animals (giggle). I would add a comment or two - I don't think most have to worry about your ferret's getting "hung up" on wire cages if they are neutered, although anything is possible. Of course, one should never keep ferrets on wire flooring, but you all know that any way. However, for those of us who have whole ferrets, they sometimes can get, ah, um, snared. Ramps can be a hazard (I remove them). But the biggest danger for unholy whole hobs is the fact that they simply will not stay away from other whole hobs cages when they are out. And, the idiots must mark their rivals cage -- and once in a while -- they get "caught". Almost everyone who breeds can tell you a horror story. One of my hobs hooked himself twice before he learned his lesson, and another once. Lucky in both cases that no permanent damage was done. The worst injury, with swelling and some bleeding was given a bit of prednisone, precautionary antibiotics and a little ice pack. Poor baby. I have friends who have experienced some serious injuries by getting "hooked" - well, actually not my friends, their hobs. And I worry about the young hobs when they start marking and are coming into season. Well, not much brain there - mostly testosterone -- Isn't testosterone a controlled susbstance Mo Bob?? So, for those of you who have obtained a kit hob from a breeder - do be mindful of this as they start to mature before you get them neutered. They do sometimes get in trouble. If this should happen to one of your ferrets -- you must rapidly support the ferrets weight and....well, quickly "unhook" him. It is best to have the "victim" checked by the vet, especially if there is bleeding. You will not fail to note that they are in trouble, when this happens - they scream like banshees. And you will respond in a hurry. I use carpets in my ferret cages - small carpets with bound edges and jute backing are available in many discount department stores - like Ames, K-Mart and Wal-Mart. Also, carpet remnants can be obtained cheaply from many carpet stores. They are easy to cut to cage size with an exacto knife or utility razor knife and inexpensive enough to be discarded when soiled. I watch for sales and stock up. Just a reminder to all - when you have an ill ferret or suspect you do, or are not sure your ferret is eating -- don't wait, hydrate! Ferrets can become de-hydrated and be in serious trouble in a matter of hours. Keep Pedialyte (I prefer plain) and Ensure or Sustecal or Deliver 2.0 on hand at all times. To hydrate a ferret - give half & half mixture orally - 15-20 cc's every 2-4 hours, depending on what they are eating. I use an infant medicine dropper. Most ferrets will take this readily, but if not, administer at corner of mouth and in front of back teeth. Cheers to all, Meg [Posted in FML issue 1848]