From:
"Spagobi"
Date: 2010-06-29 02:22:24 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] new to ferrets and have some questions
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hi I just rescued to Ferrets and am new to them I have many questions and concerns about them.
A little about them: The lady was moving and could not take them. She was going to send them to the pound so I took them. The white one we named cupcake and she is deaf. The sable one we named bear, and she is bald on her butt, tail and legs. The lady said she changed the bedding and bear was alergic. The cage is about 5 feet tall with several ramps and 2 hammicks (though with the lady she had it so they could only go up half way and had the top blocked off because they would go to the bathroom every where. They were being fed a really cheap brand of cat food from the dollar store.
I put the whole cage together and opened it up and put in two litter boxes. (I have a 100% hit rate with the box so far) I hung the two hammicks, and today bought some material to try to make some more (the fleece material so there are no threds or strings) I have two food bowls and two water bottles, one for each because the lady says they fight, (and they did fight in front of me at her house in the cage, but have not fought at my house since I put the full cage together) I also bought several ferret toys, Evo ferret food (switching them slowly by combining with old food like you would a dog), nutrical, ferratone, furlax (or something like that for hairballs) and uncle Jims duck soup to try to fatten Bear the bald one up. Should I be giving them something different then I am? Should I add more hammicks or just leave the two they came with? The cage just seems so bare compaired to all the pics I saw in the Ferrets usa magazine that came with them.
Bear sometimes also walks funny with her back hip bones sticking out, and will drag her legs sometimes... is something wrong with her or is it from what seams like undernourishment to me? (Though the white one is fat, healthy with a full white coat).
Should I get a rabbies shot for them? The lady did not tell me about vacines but the magazine says I should.
I also bought a harness and leash for each and both slip out of them, bear much easier then Cupcake. My boyfriend will not let me turn them loose in the house so I must leash them to play with them - is that enough exercise for them?
I'm sorry this is so long winded I am just trying to do everything I can for them. Any ideas or sugestions would be wonderful.
Thanks,
Danielle the new ferret owner who always said they were one animal she would never own...and is now in love!!
[Others will reply to the non-health questions off the list
to help you.
Ferrets need a lot of exercise. Try just closing the door if your
boyfriend is afraid of them for now.
They also need a vet examination.
Bear may have two of the common ferret illnesses: adrenal disease
(the fur loss) and insulinoma (the hind end weakness). Another
possibility with those symptoms is anemia from fleas but then the
other one would also have fleas.
Yes, ferrets get canine distemper and rabies vaccines, but not at the
same time.
The best general introduction to ferrets is probably the book,
_Ferrets for Dummies_ which is used by people with all levels
of experience.
To find a ferret experienced vet try resources such as
http://ferrethealth.org/vets/
-- Moderator]
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