Q: "I think my ferret broke its hip. I went to a vet who did x-rays and said it might be broken, but couldn't tell for sure. The vet said all I needed to do was leave the ferret in a small cage for a few weeks and it would be ok. Is this on the level?" A: Depends on what's being piled. I don't normally comment on vet advice because I am not a vet and therefore not qualified. Also, I do not have access to the x-rays or ferret, so I cannot even come close to telling if the ferret has a minor or major injury. However, I do know a few things about bone, so I will make a couple of comments. First, getting a good x-ray of a delicate ferret skeleton can be a minor miracle in itself. Sometime you should try holding a scared, injured energetic animal still, and still be able to show detail in a structure as complex as a hip joint. Its not easy; not just because of the mentioned difficulties, but also because the ferret hip is very tiny, and it is hard to see clear details. You look at an x-ray of a 3/16ths wide acetabulum and try to see a compression fracture, or a tiny crack. It sounds to me that the vet didn't actually see anything in the xray, but wants to be careful anyway, so is not taking chances with the health of your ferret. As for the injury, ferrets--as mustelids--are world renowned for their "weak" hip structure. Polecats, mink, weasels and ferrets have all been well-documented for having hip problems, which is related to the biomechanics of having a heavy and long body supported by narrow hips and tiny legs. Ferrets are probably a worse risk because domestication, neutering and cage living tends to reduce bone mass, making the hips even more easily damaged. Fortunately, most injuries are relatively minor, and well heal themselves given adequate rest time. It sounds as if that is what your vet is prescribing, which is probably a good call. The standard treatment for all broken bones is immoblization and rest until the bone reknits itself. This can be helped by splints or casts, by pins inserted into the bone, or plates attached to the outside of the bone. This is easy for a leg or arm bone, but ever try to cast a hip of a 1 lb animal? I have seen rear legs taped, placed inside socks, and even casted, but unless a serious injury is present, the lowered activty suggested by the vet is probably just as good as anything else and a lot easier to keep clean. I think your vet is on the level. One final bit of advice. It sounds to me that you didn't really understand the injury nor the rationale behind the treatment. *ASK* your vet to explain those things you are not clear about. It's their job to tell you in a fashion that you can understand. But very few can read minds, so they may not know you have a poor understanding unless you tell them. If they refuse to answer questions, get another vet who will. Q: "I have noticed lately several articles in [national ferret magazines] that seem to be very similar to posts you put in the FML....doesn't it make you mad?" A: Mad, as in insane? Already there, my little pretty. I have noticed several articles that have been printed sometime after a few of my posts that are indeed quite similar to my work. Professionally, printing such an article without some sort of acknowledgement is an insult, but without going through the phrasing to see how it compared to my piece, proving some sort of intellectual theft would be difficult. Normally, "journalists" don't subscribe to the belief of intellectual property rights, and consider a rewritten piece, based on another person's homework and study, to be their own, even if all they did was rewrite the original work. I feel such acts to be immoral, or at least unethical, but in a world of yellow journalism, perhaps it is not as bad as the public proclaimation of private sexual matters. I rarely give citations on the FML because of limited line space, but in my written work I never fail to cite anyone who's work I have used for even the most modest reference; if not in the references section, then at least in the acknowledgements. To do anything less is disrespectful, and at the worst, it could be plagerism. In several cases, I have seen articles that parallel my FML posts, published well after FML publication and that were published in magazines that pay a fair amount of money to the author. Now, I can assume one of two things; the person is stealing my intellectual work for their own profit, or, great minds think alike and despite their membership on the FML, the author did not see my posts. Truthfully, I could make a big stink, call the publishers, show dates, etc., but what would it get me? A tiny correction? A small dab of hush money? Hate from the people defending their friend who wrote the piece? Well, I have three file drawers full of tear sheets, published articles and book sections, the only hush money I will accept has six zeros after it, and I have plenty of misguided, but sincere, enemies. So, I choose to overlook the matter. Writing is easy for me and I can always write more. Bob C and 22 MO Fert Flatterers [Posted in FML issue 2421]