From:
deborah3322@yahoo.com
Date: 2004-11-28 02:30:48 UTC
Subject: Whitey...or every cloud has a silver lining?
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <16720915.1101575228176.JavaMail.nobody@strontium.smartgroups.com>
sharon, I have heard of this happening before, If my memory serves me correctly it
is called roaning (check on that one it is early) but basically darker furred ferrets
loose their gaurd hairs to basically become dark eyed whites. I thought it happened
more with silver ferrets then sables though. But I'm sure anything is possible. Your
vet should be able to answer this over the phone without you needing to go in for a
visit, I would call to put your mind at ease. Deborah
Author wrote:
> I have 3 ferrets, a 5 year old male Silver Cloud, a 14 month old female Sable, and
a 13 month old male Sable.
> The two males seem to shed normally, but the female isn't, she's lost all the thick,
dark fur on her body, all that is left is the soft white undercoat. But her head, tail
End of ferrethealth Digest
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To: <ferret-list@cunyvm.cuny.edu>,
<ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
From: Leslie Cucino <harley1369@cox.net>
Message-ID: <BDCEB098.1D%harley1369@cox.net>
Dear all,
A week ago my beautiful DEW Whitey, died of what we believe to have been
DIM, or the 'Mystery Disease'.
Before Whitey crossed the bridge, I added a gorgeous male cinnamon kit to
our group of four in the belief it would make my sons loss of Whitey,
(should it have come to that) easier. Who was I kidding?? It was for me. We
named him Nibbles.
After Whitey died, I went to Petco to pick up some kibble and saw a teeny,
tiny albino kit all alone in the glass enclosure. Always the one for the
underdog, I brought her home with me. Better she have a home and love with
me, then be ignored or worse yet, bought by some person who didn't
understand her needs. We have yet to name her, but have already rejected the
usual Casper, Snow Flake, etc. I'm leaning towards Little Bit in honor of
the one DIM survivor I know of and her owner who was so kind to me while I
agonized over Whitey.
Now the silver lining: I had NEVER known of the plight of the abandoned and
abused ferrets until I began scouring the net for help on Whiteys condition.
As most stupid humans do, I assumed that the ferrets bought from Petco and
similar stores were loved and cared for, as mine were. I learned the awful
truth in each rescue page I visited.
This prompted me to log into my local dog pound web page and lo and behold,
they had two ferrets that had been turned in to them. I immediately visited
them to discover that of the two, only one who had a cough, remained.
Someone had scooped up the 'healthy' ferret and cage mate of the cougher,
leaving him alone and depressed. He's a Marshall Farm ferret, (of course)
and approximately 3-4 years old.
I brought him home today. He had been on amoxicillan and Baytril for 2
weeks, with no change to his cough. He sounds bronchial, but has no other
symptoms and the cough is really infrequent. We've named him Rocky, he had a
rocky beginning, but now he's found a forever home and forever love. The
miscreant who owned him before moved out of their apartment here in
Cranston, and left him and his long term cage mate behind, alone! The
landlord, being a decent person, brought them both to the shelter.
Rocky apparently was never out of his cage and never played with. He didn't
understand the tubes that connect all levels of my ferret condo, or the
numerous toys littering the floor of the ferret room AKA my sons bedroom!
He's not skittish or shy, but he's very laid back and docile. My 9 month old
fert Sparky has adopted him as his best pal and has been showing him the
ropes all day, even deserting the comfy sleeping cube to nestle with Rocky
in a towel.
People, I don't want emails saying 'good job' or anything like that. I just
wanted everyone to know that because of these mailing lists and groups, that
I've been 'shown the light' as it were. If not for these lists and groups, I
would have remained forever ignorant. If not for the people on these lists
and groups, I wouldn't have opened my heart to any more ferrets after
Whitey. As much as I will always cherish Whiteys memory, all that love I had
for him can be given to others who need it and I want to thank all of you!
Leslie...
and ferts Shelby, Saide, Sparky, Nibbles, The No Name Fert and Rocky. The
wanna be Labs Mickey & Buddy and Smokey (I am so above all of this) the cat.