My bet (only that, no more, and I'm not a vet) with Mo Jo is that she is cranky from a complication (possibly secondary) to the ECE -- alveolar damage, colitis, helicobacter, etc. because she is uncomfortable. WHEN BEHAVIOR CHANGES RADICALLY TAKE THE ANIMAL TO THE VET!!!!!!!!!!!!! Most complications are treatable. Don't you get cranky when you don't feel well? Doesn't your daughter? When we had ECE here we did not take the ferrets to any shows or anywhere but to the vets, we did not have guests who have ferrets, we did not go to shows ourselves, we did not handle anyone else's ferrets, etc. for ABOUT 3/4 of a YEAR so that we did not pose a threat to someone else's animals. Maybe we were overly cautious but we preferred that. You need to use precautions for at least eight months. PLEASE, people: FERRET PROOF!!!!!!! Blockages can kill and if they are not treated PROMPTLY the animal can advance beyond the stage where medical care might otherwise have saved it. Some items can poison, too. Things like nail polishes and cleansers can prove very hazardous!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Latex, rubber, leather, etc. can kill through blockages. FERRET PROOF! FERRET PROOF! FERRET PROOF! Tooth cleaning has many benefits, but remember that if the tartar isn't too bad you might be able to tackle it by using Cheweasels. We've had WONDERFUL luck with these helping our ferrets' dental health. Just don't overdo it or you may see a temporary bout of loose stools. Unlike hooves, leather, etc. which might pose a blockage hazard, these are of slightly hard gelatin and dissolve easily in the ferret. We don't make any money from Cheweasels -- the money all goes in the opposite direction <G> -- but Steve and I have been very, very pleased with the results and consider them worth the expense. (Oh, they help make teething kits more comfy, too, so they are less likley to chew on something else (like a finger). Ela, would it help with your production if you had a metal shop make up a large tray with multiple removable ferret molds all attached to each other so that you could pour a large batch at once? That way you could also go with different sizes and shapes if the shop works with an artist there and you brought in examples like your cookie cutters or the garden shapes in the NEEPs catalogue. Sukie [Posted in FML issue 2567]