From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2005-05-18 02:23:57 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Little Bandit,
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <4939973.1116383037567.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Over 24 years we have had several ferrets go blind, and currently Whizbang does not appear to have the best of vision.
When it happens slow and a ferret knows the home it is easy for people to completely miss that the ferret is blind. That how little it affects them once they are used to it and know their way around.
The cataracts won't be painful.
There IS a trick which helps ferrets who go blind suddenly and it works GREAT! We have used it for some who lost sight rapidly.
All that you do is to create a scent map for your home. Use food extracts like vanilla, almond, mint, lemon, etc., or the safest extract oils that you can get at places like health food stores (select ones like those of edible herbs, edible spices, fruits). Chose two scents for each room and one for each hallway. In each room use one scent on on e side and the other on the opposite side of the room. Using a cottom swab put a tiny biy on things the ferret could bump into like furniture.
THE SENSE OF SMELL IS THE MAIN SENSE FOR FERRETS.
In fact, their vision is usually kind of myopic (short sighted). Sight doesn't mean as much to them as other senses
Just use this little trick to help replace to missing vision. You only need to replace the scent about every 2 weeks for the oils (I have not timed the length of the effect of the food extracts) since they obviously continue to smell it after we can't any longer.