From:
"Kathleen Wood"
Date: 2010-03-14 19:00:17 UTC
Subject: RE: [ferrethealth] New to group: sick kit, Qs on being very vocal
To: <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
Hi Danielle,
Congratulations on saving that poor baby. I know some people will
criticize, but sometimes we just have to save a life when we can regardless
of where it comes from. I am sure others will chime in on the medical
issues, but I wanted to let you know that we adopted 3 ferrets as small kits
(one also a rescue from a terrible pet store) that were very affectionate
and wanted to be held or at the least amused all the time, Our first ferret,
Winter, behaved exactly as you described your kit in the store. She cried
whenever we put her away. She was a busy girl and didn't necessarily want
to be held all the time, but she definitely wanted our attention. We
adopted another kit a year later, Frodo, who didn't cry but wanted to be
held all the time. Once we had the two, they amused each other and didn't
rely on us as much for attention. More recently we rescued a third kit from
terrible conditions, who we later found another good home for. She was hell
on wheels and also wanted constant attention, although holding her for a
long period of time was practically impossible. Anyway, it sounds at least
like your kit's behavior is quite normal. I hope everything works out
health-wise.
Kathleen
[Often kits with neural crest variations are deaf or partly deaf and
are more vocal. If the ferret has a white head or a white head stripe
(blaze) but the markings can be hidden under an all white coat, and
there is variable expression so can be other markings.
Check to find if deaf or partly deaf.
The illness sounds like it may have been a virus (including influenza)
or may have been/may still be a bacterial infection or protozoan.
It is best to never buy a ferret with that host of symptoms if you are
taking the individual home to other ferrets or dogs because one thing
that could have been is Canine Distemper so I am very glad that
improvement has happened. If you had brought that home to other
animals you never would have forgiven yourself fully.
Obviously, there can be other causes.
DO contact MF to ask if they are encountering any colony-wide illnesses.
In the past they have often been good about telling people if so. The
illness also may have been picked up at the pet store. Do check for some
of the things which can be picked up there. BOTH sizes (not just the larger
ones) of coccidia should be looked for in stools over the space of a week,
for example.
Members will tell you a lot more about these topics and 10 years of archives
can be found at
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
and easily searched.
--Moderator]
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