From:
wolfie2689@aol.com
Date: 2002-02-03 20:19:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] ADV/Marshall Farms
In a message dated 2/3/2002 7:13:48 PM Eastern Standard Time,
JTRADFORD@webtv.net writes:
On my Club alone,Club Med Ferrets on Yahoo...we have 3 members
with new
Marshall babies all shipped at that same time! I just saw one or
two
more here.Even IF one of them contacted it from their mother,
during
shipping they may have spread it on....WE know Marshalls is a bit
on the
secretive side...
Hey Tara,
I would like to speak of why I am purchasing 3 submit back
Avecon tests. First I am embarrassed to admit I did not know what
ADV was until last week when speaking to a lovely woman about
adopting she informed me my ferrets must be tested in order to be
considered for an adoption. She is on the board raising funds for
ADV research at AFA. So I downloaded the form and sent it in. I am
waiting for the test. Here is my story-I have 2 Marshall males about
2 years old. Two weeks ago we added a Marshalls 6 mos female to our
family (before I was truly ferret enlightened) I now feel I should
have adopted, that is just my personally view. Anyhow she is from a
different store than the boys. Last week while speaking to the
manager of this store (I am friendly with her) she told me she just
lost her beloved boy to ADV. She went on the explain the boy had
originally been purchased than returned because of this illness. She
decided to take him home-knowing what his alternate fate would be.
He graced her life since last summer and was finally put down last
week with a positive blood test and suffering. He was a Marshall's
boy. I am not suggesting there is a rash of MF ferrets with ADV, I
really do not have the right to say that, I am merely telling my
experience. And yes, naturally NOW I know I should have tested this
new female BEFORE I added her to our family. But it is too late for
kicking myself. Now I know better. If her test comes back positive
and the boys negative well, they have been exposed already, nothing
I can do now. Live and learn. I pray all will be negative and I just
got lucky this time. We will see. The manager at this store (whom as
I said I know personally) took all safety precautions in terms of
changing clothing and leaving shoes outside her door, bleach
solutioning the ferret display/enclosure-etc, etc. I hope we get to
a place where all breeding facilities, distributors, and or pet
shops will be mandated to perform documented testing. Or maybe just
the breeders/farms as a start? I do not know. I do not pretend to
have the answers, just a lot of questions. I am in no way panicking.
I just will continue to do what is best for my guys-positive or
negative-at this point I have no control over the outcome of the
tests I will soon submit. Naturally I will feel terrible if she is
positive and I have exposed my sweet boys out of ignorance. But I
will have to deal with that, if need be.
Take care,
Mary Ann