From:
Steve and Becky McMall
Date: 2002-04-02 19:37:00 UTC
Subject: re: weight loss and listing where you live
I agree with Sukie's suggestion that you weigh your ferrets
monthly. That is how we knew
how much our 6 year old girl had been losing. The weight loss
started in December, when
she wieghed 2.2 and just this last weekend she was down to
1.8. (our scale goes down to 1/4 ounce) We had bought a good
culinary scale several years ago just for ferret weighing, and
it has been worth the big bucks it cost. Since the weight
loss has been gradual and continuos throughout the winter, I
don't think that it is getting ready for summer. (however, we
have two boys who have lost an ounce each month for the last
few months which I believe is due to getting ready for summer)
Snowball, our 6 year old, doesn't like Nutrical, but that is
one suggestion that I have received,
Cynthia, that you might try. Another wrote directly that is
was her experience that older
ferrets start to lose weight. One of the more experienced
ferret owners/rescuers I have met online (more than half of
you would recognize the name) suggested Cyproheptadine (1/8
tablet)
which is actually an antihistamine that has the side effect of
increasing appetite. I really
respect this lady's opinions and experience, not to mention
that half of our ferret family has
come from her!
Diane, we live in Altus, OK, the extreme southwest corner.
I have called or visited every
vet in a 60 mile radius. Only one here in town was even
willing to learn about ferrets. But
then she specialized in horses and planned to leave soon.
One, when asked what he
knew about ferret, said, laughing, that he knew they were a
member of the weasel family.
That seems to be standard for this area. When we thought we
had found
a vet who knew enough to perform adrenal surgery that was only
an hour and half away,
the surgeon was coming in from another area on consult. Our
baby died the day of the
surgery, more than likely because the vet (not the surgeon)
said it was not a good idea for
us to leave food and water for her for when she woke up after
the adrenal surgery (he had
also said not to feed or water after midnight for a 10
surgery, but luckily we knew better). Needless to say, we
will not use that vet again, and will drive the 4+ hours to a
more experience vet that comes highly recommended. The one we
currently use is quite expensive but is very
experienced and has a state of the art lab and operating room.
He writes many articles for the
ferret magazines (it was his article 6 years ago on adrenal
glad disorder that helped us
realize why our babies were losing fur). We know that in an
emergency, we are in trouble.
I wish we all could have the good fortune to live near
experienced ferret vets.....but ferrets are
still not popular in many, many areas of the country.
Steve and Becky McMall