From:
nzweezul
Date: 2002-06-04 15:41:00 UTC
Subject: Re: The Food Issue
> > Depending on where you live in the world will also play a factor.
Some
> > areas are more prone to certain illnesses. Vets in those areas are
> > going to see more of one thing than another.
>
> Agreed. For the record, I live about 25 miles northeast of
Raleigh, NC.
>
I think perhaps what was meant here was where in the world, rather
than where in the US ...
In other places in the world there will much more variation than
within the US even between Alaska and New Mexico.
Ferrets "round the world" will be from very different bloodlines;
they will have different "lifestyles" - housing construction,
climate, parasites, housemates, vaccinations, litter, food,
temperatures, day-lengths, temperature gradients, humidity,
windspeeds, air-quality, light-intensity, water mineralisation and so
on and on - so many variables that could have effect on disease
rates, incidence, type, transmission etc that we are surely only
making guesses, educated ones I will grant, but still guesses, at
what "may" or "may not" contribute to the illness/es they "may"
or "may not" get. Comparisons without FULL details are meaningless.
For instance, someone may say "In the US and in New Zealand, ferrets
are chiefly indoor pets, yet the type and incidence of illness is
very similar ( or totally DISsimilar), therefore it is clear ...
blah blah blah " What is NOT mentioned is that houses in New Zealand
are neither heated nor cooled like houses in the US and commercial
ferret food is not generally available, and Rabies vaccination not
practiced and a thousand other things are different. See what I mean?
All we can do is use wise judgement and do what we think is best in
OUR particular circumstances - which are different to YOUR particular
circumstances, and stay alert to listen to and share what MAY or MAY
NOT be useful information from and for others.
It seems increasingly clear that there are very few absolutes in
ferret care.It would make it much easier, but far less interesting,
if there there were more!