Message Number: YG1191 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Bruce Williams, DVM
Date: 2001-03-12 22:51:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Book Review

--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "Brett Middleton" <brettm@a...> wrote:
> Some of you may not be aware of this recent book, but many of you
will
> find it a welcome addition to your bookshelves:
>
> Ferret Husbandry, Medicine and Surgery
> John Henry H. Lewington
> ISBN 0750642513, Butterworth-Heinemann, October 2000
> Paperback, 316 pp.
> $75.00 from barnesandnoble.com or amazon.com
>
> Dr. Lewington is an Australian vet, but he has put a great deal of
> effort into covering husbandry practices, diseases and treatments
from
> around the globe, including Australia, New Zealand, England, Europe
and
> the USA. This is a wonderful source of comparative information for
> those who question the feeding and housing practices that are
typically
> found in the US.
>
> Style-wise, this book falls between Dr. Purcell's very concise
handbook
> and Dr. Fox's dense academic treatment. (For example, the chapter
on
> ferret anatomy is actually "Fox lite": a less detailed version of
the
> anatomy chapter in Fox, using many of the same figures.) The book
is
> profusely illustrated, and is well-seasoned with clinical examples
from
> the experience of the author and his correspondents. You will, of
> course, have to put up with Aussie-isms ("poops" = "scats"),
archaic
> spellings that are out of fashion here (faeces, oetiology), and
other
> un-Americanisms (colour, programme). B-)
>
> The first section of the book, covering husbandry, will probably be
of
> the greatest interest to the non-veterinarian. The section begins
with
> the chapter on anatomy and ends with a chapter on handling ferrets
in
> the clinic, but the meat is in the three central chapters on
housing,
> nutrition and reproduction. In many ways this section is a good
start
> on the advanced husbandry book for which I've been wishing, and I
would
> willingly have paid the full price of the book for either the
housing
> or the nutrition chapter alone.
>
> The housing chapter surveys both indoor and outdoor housing
methods,
> highlighting many factors to be considered in the design of cages
and
> hutches, the selection of bedding, etc. The bulk of the chapter,
> however, is devoted to the design of the author's own free-range
fuzzy
> garden, which includes numerous above- and below-ground shelters,
> ferret mazes, ponds, etc. This was can't-put-it-down reading for
me.
> (If I didn't live in an apartment, I wouldn't be writing this --
I'd be
> down at Home Depot buying construction supplies! B-)
>
> The nutrition chapter covers both the commercial kibble diets
typically
> used in the US, and non-commercial meat diets typically used
elsewhere
> in the world. Regarding US diets, Lewington reproduces much of the
> nutritional data previously published elsewhere by Dr. Judith Bell,
> along with information obtained from other experts, such as Dr. Tom
> Willard of Performance Foods. This includes detailed information
on
> the vitamin/mineral content of several popular kibbles.
Unfortunately,
> there is little, if any, discussion of a dietary role for insects,
> live/frozen mice, and other tid-bits used by some to simulate a
more
> natural diet.
>
> I think I'll leave the critique of the reproduction chapter to the
> breeders among us, except to register my disappointment with the
> material on genetics. This consists of a few paragraphs noting the
> neotenous nature of the domesticated ferret and recommending that
> breeders set a priority on health and temperament in their
selection
> programs.
>
> Likewise I'll leave the sections on medicine and surgery to the
vets
> for comment. The non-vets, however, will likely be interested in
the
> information on the relative prevalence of various medical problems
> (ECE, ADV, neoplasms, etc.) in different parts of the world, and
the
> possible relationship to husbandry practices.
>
> Overall, I'd have to say that this book deserves a place on the
> essential bookshelf of the intermediate-to-advanced ferret
enthusiast.
> For those on a budget, I'd certainly place it on the to-buy list
ahead
> of Fox, since it contains a great deal more information with
immediate
> practical use. (And, for most of us, the fuzzy garden is LOTS more
fun
> to read about than any of Fox's topics. B-)
>
> Brett
>
> *SLMW 1.0* "What a fine day ... for SCIENCE!" -- Dexter

Brett - while I haven'tyet perused this title (although I know John),
I must comment as to whatan outstanding and timely review this is!
Thanks for adding a new facet to the list.

With kindest regards,

Bruce H. Williams, DVM, DACVP
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