From: 
baradour@hotmail.com 
Date: 2001-11-14 23:05:00 UTC
Subject: Spastic scratching
             My six month old sable sprite, Missy, has developed a recurring itch 
that is so intense she will flip completely out of her hammock from a 
deep sleep to scratch furiously. She only scratches just behind her 
left front leg, but I've seen her sometimes spinning in circles 
trying to "catch" her agitator. I've checked her thoroughly and can 
find no flea dirt, no obvious allergic reaction, nor any ear mites. 
I've checked her cage as well, but there is nothing in it that hasn't 
been there since I got her when she was three months. Her eating 
habbits appear to be normal, but since she scratches so much out 
(we're still arguing about where food goes. I say in the mouth, she 
says through the bottom of the cage.) it's a little hard to tell. She 
has become less "play nippy." Since it really too cold where I live 
for fleas now, I was wondering if I should be worried about heart 
worms?