Howdy Ferret Folks, I hope the header to this post got your attention. It is meant to get experienced and inexperienced ferret people to read and take note. For those of us who have been in the ferret world for a while, what I am about to say is obvious. Sadly, some of the newer ferret people do not know that some of our posts contain certain assumptions and instead interpret them for what they say in words. I received a telephone call two nights ago from a girl whose ferret had been sick for some time. ( I am telling her story with her permission). Let us not be judgmental toward this person I will describe, but instead offer her your sympathy, as she is horrified at her misinterpretation of information she picked up from various sources, including the Internet. She had been to the vet several times but could find no relief for her little one. When she called me, her ferret had lost an extreme amount of weight and she didn't know what to do. I met her at the Emergency Clinic and found an extremely emaciated ferret. Today, the little one died. The cause: Starvation. Many times we give each other advice to use Pedialyte for a sick ferret. Other times we report our use of Pedialyte and it comes across as a primary treatment for various symptoms to an inexperienced ferret person. What we don't realize is that there are many people who do not understand what Pedialyte is for. Pedialyte is a liquid which carries electrolytes. Electrolytes are used to replenish minerals lost from the body through dehydration. The liquid medium also contributes to the treatment of dehydration. Severe dehydration can cause multiple problems in any creatures system and therefore must be immediately treated. We mostly talk about electrolyte treatment (Pedialyte) when discussing symptoms including diarrhea. Pedialyte has no, nada, none, not a one of nutritional or food value. A ferret undergoing electrolyte therapy MUST be monitored to be sure it is eating. One of the side effects of dehydration is or can be loss of appetite. This is where the A/D, various baby foods and duck soups for hand feeding come into play. It is they and NOT the electrolytes in Pedialyte which nourish and make a ferret stronger and help it pull through. The person I have described interpreted her information to believe that Pedialyte WAS a nutritional supplement and it never occurred to her to hand feed separately. Since the weight loss was progressing through her veterinary treatments, and her vet never specifically told her to hand feed, she did not realize that she was in fact, starving her ferret. Again - let us not be judgmental here. I have met many a person, intelligent and not, who truly believe that a distemper shot makes a dog even tempered! For those without a lot of experience in sick ferrets, please take note. For those of you who are constantly caring for one fuzzy or another, and giving advice to others, please, please, please include in your posts the importance of insuring that the ferret is also eating, be it kibble or one of the hand feeding mixes. At any given time, a new person will join us seeking advice. Some will already know some things, some will not. Let us assume that we are all uneducated and spell out everything. This is the first fatal call I have received concerning the improper use of Pedialyte. It is, however, the third call this year from a ferret person using Pedialyte as the SOLE treatment thinking it was a food substitute. As always, a veterinarian is best. If in doubt, ask your vet questions, even if the questions seem stupid to you. If you seek or give advice on treatments, please, please, please make sure you are detailed in your advice or ask questions if you are not sure. Never, never assume, as it could cost a little one its life. Jingles did not have to leave so soon. His mom had only the best intentions. She spent a lot of money on veterinarians and many, many hours worrying and caring for her little one. Sadly, and completely devastating to her, a misunderstanding caused all her efforts to have the reverse effect. Lets all remember Jingles and send positive energy to his Mom. My luv to the fuzzies! Kathy Goodhart Goodhart's Little Buddies PO Box 8128 Cave Creek, Az 85327 (602) 465-9887 5-pound bag of Totally Ferret ferret food just $17.99, including shipping anywhere in the continental US! Shelters and Breeders contact us if you would like to become dealers! Ask us about the Diplo-Mat - the only sure protection against carpet diggers! Only a few left in stock before the manufacturer's price increase. Only the Best for Our Little Buddies! [Posted in FML issue 2435]