Message Number: YG4062 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Sukie Crandall
Date: 2001-05-28 19:45:00 UTC
Subject: Re: How can I tell if its a cold or not: not, and our
single best tip

Well, as you now know from Dr. Bruce Williams, ferrets simply do not
get colds. (People do get colds, but they can also sometimes get
influenzas that are mild enough to seem like colds.) Ferrets do get
influenza. In fact, they are used to develop and test influenza
vaccines and at least one maker of such vaccines used to adopt them
out afterward; I don't know what that company does now.

We had one who got a bacterial sinus infection from me, but she was a
greatly compromised individual with multiple large deformities and
chronic health problems including asthma, someone on the edge of
survivability most of her 6 year life who required the amount of
health and day-to-day care of about 3 ferrets. In 19 years no other
one has caught a sinus infection, either, so I suspect that is
possible but not too likely.

We have had one over the years with pneumonia and pleurosy together
when elderly who got through them fine with prompt vet care and
careful nursing.

There is one single most important tip that Steve and I can give for
nursing one who is stuffed-up or who has dry nasal passages from a
med like Lasix: that is to give warmed-up, stinky food mixed with
water. Ferret eating and drinking is very scent-dependent much of
the time so this trick gets them to eat and drink. a/d is probably
the stinkiest thing we can give, but certainly have also done this
with baby food or with assortments that had Ferretone or Nutrical (if
no insulinoma) in them due to pronounced scents of those additions.