From:
"Barbara Clay"
Date: 2008-12-25 03:32:58 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Are We Creating Super Bugs
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
My heart goes out to all with losses and those recovering from this
unknown bug. I just can't bring myself to call it ECE until the jury
is back. Could it be a strain of ECE, could it be a strain of Flu, or
worse, something new.
I want to share with you my thoughts on ferret care. This goes for my
shelter, as well as my personals.
I cringe when I see pics of shelter play areas that are pristine and
so antiseptic! Ferrets in a bubble!
I have a huge outdoor containment where they romp, run and dig.
They're not finished playing unless they have a face full of dirt! I
have a swimming pool in the containment area. It was our delight to
watch our shelter kids as
a team tunnel all Spring, Summer and Fall under that pool. They were
like ferrets in the wild, incredible engineers digging and tunneling.
They are out there in extreme temps, even safe rain storms. My mother
was cutting edge, and always sent us kids out to play in the dirt, mud
and rain, and we were the healthiest kids on the block.
Do we coddle our ferrets so much that we've minimized their immune
systems?
These are a man-made pet. We are such an antiseptic society so much
so that we've bubbled our pets, at the sake of allowing them to have
some natural exposures, giving them some natural antibodies.
I run my shelter the way I want, at some expense of criticism. During
the warm months, I don't let it get above 80. During the Winter it's
anywhere from 45 - 65 degrees. If you visit, you will find my ferrets
fat and with luxurious Winter coats...all a response to temperature.
I risk exposure with them in the playpen, but this has been proven to
work for them. I have an indoor play area too, with much enrichment,
but it pales to the outdoor area. I don't believe that ferrets should
be playing on sterile linoleum all their lives, and then it's a
surprise to us when they become ill. By doing so, you've created the
bubble ferret, and thus, very vulnerable.
I think we enjoy play time, but under estimate how important it is
that we provide something very stimulating. Think about depression in
humans, with the lack of endorphins and seratonin emissions.
Depressed people are plagued with chronic illnesses. It translates
into ferret care. Happy, well stimulated ferrets, will be healthier.
Of course, this argument is defeated pretty much with bad
genetics...but not really.... Bad Genes? That much more reason to
work and be creative on giving your ferrets a joyous environment.
That's just one area in ferret care, that I wanted to share.
Barb Clay
Dir of Shelter Affairs for Rocky's
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