Thanks for responding to my questions about Elsa. I took her to the vet Wednesday afternoon about her behind area, the vet wasn't too surprised since she'd been soiling herself constantly--stomach bile can be pretty painful on the skin. He cleaned her up and cut her hair (she's got pretty long and fluffy hair for a short-haired ferret), and I got some hemmoroid medicine for her so she's better there. She's accepting more food from me, as well as eating a little bit on her own. I have been feeding her w/a syringe-type dropper, it's hard b/c her mouth is so small, but she is the only one of my 4 ferrets who actually *likes* the soft food I give her, so I was really concerned when she was refusing it. She's back on track there, though. She's also gotten enough energy to start protesting that I've stuck her in a cage (she usually has complete free reign of my room). Her latest issue...she has had alternating stools--yucky ol' wet and brown ones, and ones that clearly have *blood* in them. The last time she passed blood in her stool was yesterday afternoon. I brought her to work w/me today to watch her and make sure--hope, hope--that she keeps to the yucky brown ones. If she passes blood again the vet's going to put her on this really strong and nasty tasting antibiotic which means I'll have to get her to swallow a capsule w/a pill gun...she's been steadily improving, i really don't want to do that to her. He doesn't know exactly what's wrong w/her or why she's passing blood, but he's the best ferret vet in Pdx... Minta & Elsa [Posted in FML issue 2189]