From:
=?iso-8859-1?Q?Dorte_N=F8rgaard?=
Date: 2007-11-23 07:13:20 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Re: how to get blood
To: <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
I use that technique as well,- but often the skin feels just as thick as gu=
inea pigs, and the ferrets realy disagree of me taken a bloodsample :-), an=
d then I go my "fine little procedure", which I thought might be of help fo=
r others.
Have a nice weekend.
Dorte N=F8rgaard
Denmark
----- Original Message -----
From: Sukie Crandall
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Thursday, November 22, 2007 6:40 PM
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: how to get blood
Thank you for that technique. I wonder if the skin is thicker or the vein=
s more inclined to
shift in the genetic population there than here. We have had only two who=
regularly
needed gas to get blood (and Iso can shift at least one of the numbers in=
results -- off
hand, I can not recall which but i know that is in the archives) and only=
one who needed a
cut-down.
What usually works with our thin-skinned crew is this:
Have one person do a scruff while holding the front legs downward over th=
e corner of the
table. Have another provide a treat (and in some cases prevent the rear e=
nd from
shifting). The vet shaves (usually but not always). Some (not all) get a =
bit of numbing
dermal gel and a short wait, and then back into position. The vet pats th=
e vein till there is
a clear target. This technique pretty much always works BUT for the ones =
who panic, or
the ones whose veins shift around a lot, or the ones with narrow veins, o=
r the ones with
really thick skin then it simply won't.
BTW, we have had ferrets for over a quarter century, and among the differ=
ences between
decades ago and now that Steve and I have noticed (from personal experien=
ce and also
from talking with ferret people in North America) are not just increased =
rates of
endocrinological tumors in more recent U.S. ferrets (also noticed by Dr. =
Karen Rosenthal
as per pers. com.), reduced life spans in some (esp. since fancy markings=
became so
popular), and so on, but also that the more current ferrets here seem to =
have thinner and
less leathery skin than the ones decades ago. I wonder if anyone else has=
noticed that?
I wonder if the skin you deal with is more like what we used to encounter=
; I know that
many of the fancy genetics that appear to carry health burdens have been =
avoided in some
parts of Europe more than they have been here. If at least one of those a=
lso has a bit of a
benefit through more easily taken blood, well, then at least not everythi=
ng beyond
appearance considerations is bad... (Every cloud has a silver lining?)
=20=20
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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