He was told by a veterinarian that xylitol, a chemical which is used to give the gum its sweetness without the calories, can be lethal to animals and if this poor ferret did, indeed, die because of chewing on the gum, then it obviously is very lethal.

So, I guess if any ferret owners like chewing on sugarless gum, please make sure it’s kept completely out of reach of your pets, like you would with medicines, etc.

A Pet Care Clinic Birds & Exotics, Dogs & Cats Author: SuperPagesSuperVideo Keywords: Added: March 10, 2010

How To Care For a Ferret Author: Wolf0873 Keywords: Added: March 6, 2010

Ferret care Author: Mark170875 Keywords: Added: March 6, 2010

No. 233: The Cat that Somehow Came Back Weve all heard incredible tales of animals coming back after long disappearances, but the recent return of a Canadian cat after … tags: animals casino cats dogs Education ferrets fish The Petcast

No. 232: The Cat In The Subway When a kitten showed up in an underground Boston train station, commuters began posting cell phone snapshots of their sightings, and urging … tags: animals birds boston cats dogs Education ferrets The Petcast

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Common Costs Associated With Caring For a Ferret Ferret Care … Wild Ferrets. Figuring out where ferrets actually like to live is all about whether they are wild or domesticated. However, knowing a bit about what almost all ferrets like in the way of a home will help owners make an informed decision … My Funny Pet – http://www.myfunnypet.net/

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Franklin Spirko Media .

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8891937?ordinalpos=2&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum

Fischer RG, Edwardsson S, Klinge B, Attstrm R.

Department of Periodontology, Lund University, Malm, Sweden.

The effect of cyclosporin-A (CyA) on the dentogingival flora of ferrets with healthy and experimentally induced periodontal breakdown was studied. Five animals were given 10 mg/kg/d CyA. At the start of the experiments (day 0), ligatures were placed around 4 teeth in the right upper and lower jaws; corresponding contralateral teeth on the left side served as control. On days 0 and 28 (end of the experiment), microbiological samples were collected from the gingival sulcus of the experimental and the control teeth and from closely located gingival mucosa membrane. The samples were subjected to viable counts and to darkfield microscopic analyses. On day 0, facultative anaerobic rods, mainly Pasteurella spp, Alcaligenes spp, Corynebacterium spp. and Rothia spp dominated in the viable counts. No anaerobic bacteria were detected in the viable counts. On day 28 spirochetes increased in the experimental gingival sulcus samples and anaerobic bacteria appeared in most of the samples and constituted 40-60% of the total cultivable flora; Fusobacterium necrophorum and Eubacterium spp. predominated in the samples from the experimental sites. The results of the present study were compared with those of our previous investigation of ferrets not medicated with cyclosporin but also subject to experimental ligature periodontitis. Eubacterium spp. were absent in the animals not treated with cyclosporin, while this species was frequently present in the immunosuppressed ferrets. The results indicate that the presence of the large numbers of gram negative rods and of anaerobic bacteria may have enhanced the inflammatory process and further provoked the gingival overgrowth observed.

J.Scheer

I have one study saved on my computer, and can send it to anyone interested. I have also seen another study, but did not save it. I’m not at home for a few days, so I can’t really look for the one I don’t have, but I can send out the other one as a PDF attachment to anyone interested. But my personal conclusion from the study that I have and the other one I read, plus my vet’s information, is that 18 mg. of selemectin monthly for a 1-kg ferret should be quite enough to prevent heartworm. Thus, this year I have gone from giving a full dose of cat-sized Revolution monthy to giving a half-vial monthly per ferret. All of our ferrets are pretty close to the 1-kg weight level. The half-vial dispenses approx. 22 mg of the selemectin, more than enough, in my belief, to protect them.

I did not see any adverse reactions in the two years that we used a full vial (45 mg. of selemectin monthly). However, my vet believes that long-term overmedication with selemectin could lead to some problems, as can over-dosing with most meds. I have to believe him on this one, and my personal comfort level for keeping our 6 ferrets safe from heartworm has decreased accordingly. My vet feels that even the half-vial is too much, but I’d rather go a little over the 18 mg. monthly than a little under, so he capitulated.

Here is the link to the information on Revolution, directly from their website:

http://www.revolution4cats.com/default.aspx?sec=Prescribing%20Information

I don’t usually read ‘Hints from Heloise’ but when I saw the ‘The ’sweet’ facts about owning ferrets’ headline in my local paper this morning, I had to give it a read. Heloise mentioned before that years ago she owned a pet ferret(s) so a reader was asking for advice before possibly purchasing pet ferrets for her children. From a pet store, no less. Heloise didn’t even mention the possibility of going to a rescue to the person who asked about getting ferrets.

Hrm, well, among other things, she tells readers to give ferrets ‘fruit and sweet vegetables’ as treats. I think we all know by now that ferrets are obligate carnivores and cannot digest these mentioned ‘treats’. I know I’ll also be mentioning in my e-mail to her that she is putting her readers’ ferrets lives at risk, as feeding these foods can cause painful intestinal blockages and lead to expensive (been there, done that on the blockage surgery) surgeries and/or death.

She also says ‘A good ferret breeder will spay or neuter and de-scent the babies before selling them to you.’ Hmm, never heard of this one, either. The only time I’ve heard of getting an already speutered ferret from a breeder is when you purchase a retired breeding ferret. Sure, you can urchase a kit on a contract that you have the kit speutered, but you’re still the one responsible for and paying for the surgery to be done. I mean, I could be wrong, I’ve never purchased a baby, much less a ferret from a breeder (all my ferrets have come second hand ) but I always hought, you know, the point of getting a baby, was to get a baby. And don’t most breeders recommend waiting until the ferret is just under a year old before getting it speutered?

I also don’t like the part where she says ‘Do not need a large cage, but should be allowed out every day for exercise and mental stimulation’ Yes, we all agree that ferrets *DO* need to be left out for at least 4 hours every day for exercise. However, I have never read *anywhere* that ferrets ‘do not need a large cage’. Anyone else?

LOL, she also says, in making her point that owning a ferret is not like owning a cat that ‘ferrets are weasels’.

She does make good points about ferret proofing your home and it is better to have them in pairs, ‘NEVER feed ferrets breads, nuts, grains
or dairy products.’ and all, she’s not 100% off the mark. She mentions that they will need annual vaccinations (sadly, doesn’t mention an
‘exotics’ vet).

Here is a link to the entire article:

http://www.indeonline.com/lifestyles/x1566715046/Heloise-A-few-facts-about-ferrets

I almost lost Rasta today. he decided after getting a quick bath and me forgetting to baby gate the kitchen he would climb up the inside of the stove on the narrow sides and got stuck. there was no way for me to get to him and he almost suffocated. somehow he dislodged himself, but was in shock, drooling, and just kind of laying there. rush hour traffic from oakland park to pembroke pines he finally came around at the vet. he has a swollen chin, is on antibiotics & melaxacam.

Please keep your animals away from the stove which has a hidden danger on the inside to climb up. it’s not just them able to climb in and play in the bottom drawer. This was truly a blessing for me to have not lost him. he is only about 2-1/2 and a joy every morning to me and monkey’s partner in crime. even after 20 yrs of having them i learn something everyday. Just thought this worth passing onto you all. Yes, he gets extra kisses from mom tonight and a thank you to up above.
jane

I have read his research papers and the evidence is very compelling – however there’s no long term research as to any long term side effects (if any). I have been thinking of using the deslorelin implant to delay surgically neutering for about 2 years as there is also evidence that suggests that later the neutering the less likely the chances of adrenal occuring. However, his research seems to suggeset that any surgical neutering can possibly lead to adrenal disease.

Yes, exactly. Neutering at any time in life removes the ovaries and testes so they can’t signal to shut off the high LH output which ultimately irritates the adrenals badly enough to cause tissue overgrowth. There is one unrelated experiment which indicates that there may be
some changes in females after the first heat, but even if so it might not make a huge difference.

Chemical neutering with substances that themselves can reduce LH output — for example, deslorelin — may have more promise, or the GnRH (Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone) Vaccines being worked on may be as good or better. That is current research.

Lupron is related to deslorelin but shorter acting and more expensive.

BTW, word is that the FDA has made it harder to import deslorelin now, perhaps because so many vets ordered it? I wish the U.S.A. would just allow that med in the right implant form for ferret use.

impervious to to an influenza so it will not be obvious or might seem like a minor infection, but it is still just as contagious from them. On unusual occasion ferrets can transmit a disease to humans but their coughs also sneezes are tiny also they don’t hold viruses also more on their hands like we do, so it is far, far more likely for humans to infect ferrets rather than the other system around.

Congratulations on finding also treating the pneumonia in time. Far too frequently that doesn’t happen. It can be very hard to spot in them also sometimes produces almost no symptoms until it is very advanced.

Managing insulinoma with meds can be very difficult and you have to really be diligent or else the result could be / will be a seizure. You are already learning how to do it. When you see that a particular dosage results in more active and normal behavior, then you are at or near the dosage for the current time. Dosages will have to change over time as the disease worsens.

I would also agree, from experience, with what Tony wrote, in that giving meds three times a day, eight hours apart, has proven (for us) to be a lot more effective than twice a day, 12 hours apart. When Neo was near the end, I had to go to 4 times a day, 6 hours apart for meds, and was giving him meals every 4 hours. Not big meals, but just enough to keep his BG levels as high as we could (which at that point was dangerously low despite meds).

Is there an upper limit to prednisone? Technically no, although high doses for a lng time are often associated with muscle wasting and
excessive deposition of fat (known as pred belly). I have used up to 5mg/lb in cases of lymphoma without horrible side effects, but that is always a short-term issue, and would not want to try it for a year or more. If someone is hitting 2 mg/lb/day, I generally strongly suggest that they look at a surgical option, either nodulectomy, or partial pancreatectomy.

With kindest regards,

Bruce Williams, DVM

Finally, when checking for possible stump pyometra what appears to have been a missed and hidden ovary was found. She was spayed at a farm 6 years ago.

At the time of her surgery our primary vet (There are three in his practice who can treat ferrets.) had never seen a vulva so large. As he put it, “This thing could be another limb” and it did in fact often touch the floor so was very hard to keep clean, uninjured, and splinter-free. Okay, impossible to keep in those states. We were very worried that her chronic infections there might lead to sepsis and they certainly undermined her quality of life.

She is now 8 days post-surgery. We are awaiting pathology reports but her vulva by two days age had lost at least 1/3 of its size and had become not much larger than Pivot’s was when she was in full heat.

The spots her vulva was getting were blood clots and for a while those were working to the surface and her skin was friable as her vulva began shrinking so she had some light, repeated surface bleeding and associated discomfort. That is resolving nicely.

At this point it is wrinkled and somewhat floppy with all that stretched tissue but it is slowly and progressively getting smaller. measurements currently are noticeably different every two days, with one of her measurements being 1/8″ smaller Friday than
on Wednesday, so you can tell there are real differences. It is much paler, too.

She needs two antibiotics right now: Clavamox and Biaxin, but they are doing the trick and her nodes which had been up from
persistent infections was way, way down — actually to normal sizes in some locations and almost there for others.

She’s back to eating kibble for most of her food and is acting very happy but not overly active which is great because it is too early
for extreme activity still. We kept back some of her pain med in case she gets too active too soon to prevent her causing herself
injury.

So, at this point we wait for the pathology report. I saw what was removed: a tiny and asymptomatic insulinoma that was starting,
what looks like a small sister spleen, and the clearly glandular tissue which sure did look like an ovary looks. The direction of changes, with her comfort, her vulvar size, the integrity of her tissues, and her node size are all good so far.