There was a question about giardia... There are lots of listings on the Web under the search terms "giardia AND pet"--too many to list here, but here are a few One about dogs, but still informative: http://www.flatcoat.com/giardia.htm and another on internal parasites including giardia: http://www.nsvh.com/internal_parasites.htm and one about its origins and effect on humans: http://vm.cfsan.fda.gov/~mow/chap22.html Giardia is a protozoan and it is tough to kill. The medicine your ferret got for it, Flagyl, is the same thing humans are given. Giardia has become a problem in the 'pure' mountain streams of the Rockies--I live in the mountains and know a lot of folks who've gotten giardia while hiking and camping-- but it is fairly common everywhere. Some people say it came from beavers. I think, but I don't know, that dogs can get infected with it but not have too many symptoms, so I would not be surprised if it could be spread via the family pup to the family ferts. [Posted in FML issue 2587]