Getting Older

 

 

So Saturday was my fifth birthday. Which means I am now on the threshold of becoming a senior pet. With that hooman has more concerns about my health.

I am already considered to have Adrenal Disease since I have an enlarged spleen but am not showing any other signs such as hair loss like Marcuz is.

Hooman has started doing weekly testing of my blood sugar to make sure I am not showing any signs of Insulinoma.

I am also starting to show some signs of tooth decay even though hooman does brush my teefs. It will be one of the many things we will discuss with my awesome vet Doctor Doverspike in March of April depending on when we can get an appointment with him. Hooman doesn’t want to take any chances with our healthcare  and I really don’t like the lady vet that did my ultra sound.

I will also have to start seeing Doctor Doverspike twice a year if not more depending on my age but then I won’t be going alone since Marcuz will be turning five in September.

Here are just a couple of pics of me getting my bifday treats. Yum! 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Manny

Woozel Wednesday

Woozel is another term many ferret owners use to describe their beloved little fur ball. Which makes sense as they are related to the weasel.

We are on our count down to Blog Paws and on the list of things to do was getting the 3 M's their vaccinations and health certificates.

Many people don't realize that ferrets can be exposed to many cat or dog viruses and occasionally get them. The only thing is that many of them are 100% fatal to ferrets no matter how fast it is discovered.
The two main diseases ferrets should be vaccinated against are rabies and distemper. There didn't use to be a vaccine that was made just for ferrets for either of these diseases and while the canine (puppy) vaccines have been used the effectiveness is relatively unknown.

Many ferret breeders/owners were glad to see the release of vaccines make especially for ferrets. Unfortunately the company that makes the distemper vaccine for ferrets has deemed the manufacturing of the vaccine to expensive and has stopped production. Leaving major shortages across the United States.  (Are you listening Merial?)

The reason I bring this up is because we are back to using puppy distemper vaccine for the 3 M's and only certain brands are recommended for ferrets none of which our vet uses.  But thankfully our favorite vet Dr. Sam Doverspike knows that we travel and has given the boys the vaccine he knew that while there are risks I would be ready for them.

Marcuz loves the taste of his vet and always gets in a few licks before trying to take a taste. Marcuz will be turning three this year and that means he is moving out of teenage years and into senior it also means he is a candidate for certain diseases that are very common in ferrets.  One of which is adrenal disease.

One of the signs is called Rat Tail and as you can see Marcuz has one but that is the only sign he is showing and we'll be monitoring him to make a decision about how to proceed. The two major options are an implant and/or surgery both of which can wait a little bit.

Manny has a slightly enlarged spleen also a known issue with ferrets and will be monitored closely. Manny turned 4 in January and really is considered on his way into seniorhood. But you would never tell from the way he was exploring the vet's office.
 

Marylin was the healthiest of them all but then she is only celebrating her 2nd birthday on July 1 at that time she will be a teenager.


While I know my boys are headed into a realm I don't want them to go I've been there done that with adrenal and know what to expect and how to deal with each coming event. The enlarged spleen is new and I will be compiling mounds of research just to keep informed and stay educated about it.

With a total of six shots my fur babies are ready for travel and have their health certificates to prove they've been seen and are allowed to travel the states.

I love that our vet office loves pets as much as we do even the light cover in the bathroom shows off their great sense of humor.




Have a Chittering Good Day,
Jo
15 days and counting.

Did You Know That Ferrets Get Colds

 

I just got over a bad cold. The kind where your head feels like it is going to explode. What many people don’t realize is that ferrets can and do get/give human colds. They can also give it back to the human if precautions are not taken to prevent the spread of the virus.

The precautions are the same ones you would take to prevent other family members from getting your cold. Hand washing is the number one thing you can do. I also have hand sanitizer in every room so that I can use it frequently before and after touching my fur babies. I also tend to wear a mask as not to breathe too many germs on them. The ideal situation would be for someone else to take care of them until I was well over my cold but ideal isn’t always possible.

Colds can last anywhere from seven to ten days and that does not include the time it takes to incubate. So your ferret may already be headed to having his/her own cold before you even see signs of your own cold.

So how do you know if your ferret has a cold? Pretty much the same way you know you have one. Runny nose/eyes, sneezing, sleeping more than normal, not wanting to play, and eating less. Treating a ferret with a cold is pretty much the same routine you do for yourself. Lots of fluids, a soup called Duck Soup (not made from ducks), warm bed and as long as they are eating and drinking well there should be no need to see the vet. However, if a ferret has stopped taking fluids/eating for more than 24hrs or has diarrhea you need to at least call the vet and ask questions to determine if medical treatment is needed. Dehydration is major concern as it can happen quickly and can lead to death if not treated immediately.

The same can be said for the flu. Did you know that the ferret was used to create the flu vaccine? The ferret's body system works similar to the human body. The ferret is also susceptible the Swine flu and can be fatal if not treated quickly enough. The swine flu can be fatal to the ferret if it is not managed well.

It should also be said that if a ferret already has an underlying issue such as Adrenal Disease or Insulinoma the cold/flu needs to be addressed ASAP as these diseases lower the immune system and the simple cold is not so simple in these ferrets.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Let’s Not Fry the Ferret…

The summer heat is just now starting to creep up on us here in Western PA. I have a feeling it is going to be very humid and hot this year.

Now is the time we should be preparing our pets for the coming heat.

Ferrets do not do well in temperatures over 68 degrees and like many animals do not have sweat glands to regulate their body temperature.

While dogs can pant ferret’s don’t and it is easy for them to suffer heat stroke.

Each year we hear of children and service animals (police dogs) that have been left in the car when the temperature seems reasonable outside it is slowly baking them from the inside out.

I try not to take my fur kids on outings when the temperature is going to soar well over 70 degrees and if I have to do so I have a number of things I do to keep them cool and comfortable.

1. I fill a gallon jug with water and freeze it.

2. I fill a gallon size sealable bag with enough water that it will lay flat and freeze that.

3. I have a crate fan and keep extra batteries.

4. Plan out where you have to go and the amount of time you will be at one place.

As I said I don’t take them on outings if at all possible but sometimes emergencies arise and you have to go out with your ferret.

The gallon jug of water does two things. The first is I place it in front of the crate fan so that the air is cooled and isn’t just the heated air being blown around. Yelch. Second as it melts it is a cold drink for the ferrets. Just like humans animals need to stay hydrated in the summer heat.

The frozen flat bag is placed inside the carrier with a covering over it. This gives the ferret a place to lay down and stay cool and comfortable. The cover keeps the ferret from getting too cold or having their belly stick to it.

The crate fan I have uses 2 D size batteries and can eat them up in a matter of minutes depending on how long and how high I have the fan on so it is best to have extra batteries.

By knowing how long I will be out allows me to schedule stops at places where I can let my ferrets out of their carrier and the car. One of the best places is the park and since most of the outings go past the park they get numerous chances out. I am also lucky that the local pet/farm store allows animals inside where it is air-conditioned.

The best rule of thumb is if you wouldn’t want to stay in the car with windows up leave your pet at home. For those that earn a living by helping humans then the humans need to plan for the heat.

Police dogs should have adequate water and if it is possible a gallon jug of frozen water in the back with them.

If you see a pet in distress in a car call 911 and report it.

Best Advice: If you don’t have to take your pet with you DON’T!

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Final Update on Amazing Grace’s Story.

I brought you the heart-wrenching story of Grace back in March when she was rescued from the hallway of an apartment building.

This amazing little girl survived for twenty-one days before she earned her wings to fly free from pain. In those twenty-one days, Amazing Grace touched the hearts of people all over the world of all ages.

I must clarify that the rescue that I named as the one helping Amazing Grace the Washington Metro Area Ferret Outreach (WMAFO) only took in Grace it was the caring Claudia of Oxford Ferret Rescue that took care of Grace 24/7.

It was hoped that justice would be served but it now looks like that will not happen. The Animal Investigator went to the apartment building where Grace was supposedly found and talked to the manager there and to the apartment occupants who have never had an animal verified by the management and the officer.

Further investigation revealed that the name and address given by the person turning Grace over to the WMAFO were false.

This information now makes everyone involved believe it was Grace’s true owner that brought her in and unfortunately that means the leads are cold and Grace’s murder will not be brought to justice.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Update on Grace

Photo from Washington Metro Area Ferret Outreach.

Grace is off the I.V. support and is eating on her own. Her blood work is slowly improving every day but she still has a long ways to go.

She is starting to act like a ferret by exploring her surroundings and finding comfortable spots to take naps. Her favorite place seems to be on Claudia.

Don’t know the story of Grace? Check it out here

Ferrets normally sleep between 14 to 18 hours a day but I am sure that Grace is sleeping a lot longer than that as she regains her stamina and strength.

If you look you can see where she is starting to get new hair and her ribs aren’t sticking out so far any more.

Enlightened Ferret is proud to help Grace by donating a portion of our sales from Ferret Fabulous Finds Auction House 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Happy National Ferret Day.

 

April 2^nd was dedicated to helping others recognize the growing ferret community by educating others in the welfare of ferrets. With that said we are proud to update you on the progress of an amazing little ferret girl named Grace.

If you haven’t read Grace’s story you can do so here, but be forewarned that the picture is disturbing.

Not only has Grace survived she is improving each day. She is now eating a little on her own and her blood work is showing improvement but the biggest improvement is her weight gain. While she is still very underweight, she is regaining her strength along with the weight gain.

Photo from Washington Metro Area Ferret Outreach Facebook page.

This little girl has earned a huge following of people who have reached out to help her get well. Enlightened Ferret is proud to be a part of that by creating a special Ferret WarmUp Jacket named for her.

For each one sold 50% of the sale will go to Amazing Grace.

If you would like to help Grace, you can do so by donating to the Washington Metro Area Ferret Outreach 

and put for Grace in the note.

This little girl may not have known love in her past but now that is all she knows.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Did You Know?

 

That a ferret’s heart weighs less than 1 ounce.

 

That a normal heart rate for ferrets is between 200 and 300 beats per minute. Human heart rate is 60-80 beats per minute.

 

That the average male ferret has 2 ounces of blood in his body and the average female has 1.5 ounces.

 

Now you know.

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Justice for Grace.

 

Disclaimer: Photo is graphic. If abused animal disturb you then this is not the post for you.  If you continue to read you do at your own discretion.

For my regular readers you know I don’t often post about those evil people who abuse animals but when I do it is because one of them has grabbed a heart string and plucked it making it sing out in need.

Grace is one of those that has plucked more than just my heart string among us ferret lovers. I first saw a picture of Grace when it was posted on the Washington Metro Area Ferret Outreach’s Facebook page.

She is one of the lucky ones as she was abandoned in an apartment building hallway and animal control was called who in turn called the Outreach who knew exactly where to take her for the best medical care she could get.

An investigation has been opened to find Grace’s owner so that charges can be brought against him or her. There is no way this happened in a few days

and I hate to think about how she managed to survive this long.

If you would like to help Amazing Grace you can donate to the Chadwell Animal Hospital - 443-512-8338 VET INFO or send it to PayPal account steph@wmafo.org and add a note that says for Grace.

Another way to help is to bid on some amazing items from the Ferret Fabulous Finds Auction House 10% is donated to a weekly ferret shelter from all of the artists who have items listed and I am proud to be one of those artists with my unique ferret clothing and I will be donating between 15% and 100% depending on the item sold.

( Ferret WarmUp Jacket for fur challenged ferrets)

If you live in the Washington D.C. Area and recognize this little girl or might know who abandoned this sweet soul please call your local animal control with the information. This little girl did nothing to deserve this abuse.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Are We Jeopardizing Our Pet’s Health?

I watched The Doctors yesterday, February 27, 2013; the show was titled Guilty Pleasures Jeopardizing your Health.

I am sure most of us try to eat healthy and avoid the sugar trap. I found that many of the foods we think are healthy really aren’t. The most disturbing fact was that most of us consume 150 pounds of sugar a year. The recommended about is 34 pounds. That equals out to 6 tablespoons of sugar daily for women and men get to consume 9 tablespoons.

Most of us blow those amounts out of the water with our first can of soda or with our daily coffee intake. One can of soda has 10 tablespoons of sugar.

These facts got me thinking about our pets and how much sugar do we give them unknowingly? We know that sugar plays a role in obesity, diabetes, and it has also been suspected as part of heart disease.

Most of us know to read labels on the foods we eat and some of us have started reading the labels on our pet’s food as well. The problem is that our food is required to have a nutrition facts panel that must have specific things such as serving size, the amount servings per contain/package, and the amounts per serving and what the recommended daily value.

One of these facts is the amount of sugars. Example did you know that a serving of Cheez-It® has 0 grams of sugar.

But most pet food labels have what is called the Guaranteed Analysis.

“At minimum, many state regulations require a pet food to guarantee the minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and the maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture. The "crude" term refers to the specific method of testing the product, not to the quality of the nutrient itself.” Pet Food Labels – General

Typical Guaranteed Analysis for a Good Ferret Diet
Crude protein	38.0%
Crude fat	18.0%
Fiber	3.5%
Ash	6.5%
Moisture	10.0%

 

It is normal to see the following ingredients in ferret food.

Chicken by-products, herring meal, corn, cod fish, animal liver, dried beet pulp, brewer's dried yeast, cane molasses, salt, sodium propionate, DL-methionine, L-lysine, taurine, vitamin A, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, riboflavin supplement, niacin, biotin, choline chloride, folic acid, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, BHA, vitamin B12 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (a source of vitamin K), D calcium pantothenate, manganese oxide, inositol, ascorbic acid, iron sulfate, copper sulfate, zinc oxide, cobalt carbonate, potassium iodide, sodium selenite.

You can see there is no mention of the amount of sugar on the Guarantee Analysis. For ferrets that develop Insulinoma these ingredients can play a devastating role.

One of the ingredients Brewer’s Yeast is used to lower blood sugar which is something we don’t want to do in a ferret with insulinoma as his/her blood sugar is already low due to having too much insulin in his/her blood stream.

The other ingredient is cane molasses, which is a byproduct of white sugar, and the gram amount is 55-70 per 100 grams of molasses.

Just by having these two ingredients, we are causing a blood sugar drop only to have it spike again in our ferrets.

It would be interesting to know if these two ingredients could be causing the Insulinoma to show up in so many ferrets over the age of three.

Learning what goes into our pet’s food needs to become as high of a priority as knowing what is in our own food. By learning this we can better help our pets live longer and have happier lives.

What is your opinion? Of this list of ingredients do you know what they do or where they come from?

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Save a Yorkie named Cinnamon

I don’t normally write about other critters unless they somehow relate to ferrets so this is a completely different kind of post for me.

Roomie, Judy, started fostering at the beginning of the year in hopes of helping her adopted puppy mill rescue Ariel learn how to be a dog.

At the moment, she is fostering Curly who is a seven-year-old yorkie who has cataracts and diabetes and requires insulin twice a day.

She received an urgent email from Save a Yorkie Rescue about another little yorkie named Cinnamon.

Little Cinnamon was surrendered after being hit by a car. This little guy is just a year old and is suffering from one dislocated hip, one  broken hip, along with his pelvis.

As of this writing, we don’t know if he has made it through the surgery that was scheduled for yesterday (February 13, 2013) but the rescue has paid out the large sum of $3000 as a down payment for the surgery and will be owing another $3000 for his care during his recovering if he survived the surgery.

The reality is that Cinnamon may come out of the surgery paralyzed, permanently incontinent  which will make it harder for this little fighter to be adopted.

 

Knowing that I have many readers who understand special need pets I am hoping that some of you can help this wonderful rescue out by donating to his care even if it is $5 as it does add up and help pass this along so that Cinnamon might find the right forever home.

 

By clicking on the Save a Yorkie Rescue logo you will be taken to Cinnamon’s page where you can make a donation.

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Pet teeth

All pets should have their teeth brushed to prevent many periodontal diseases that can cause other health issues such as Heart disease, Kidney problems, and digestive issues.

With preventative dental care given by both the pet owner and the pet’s vet these issues may be lessened or eliminated. The data about dental issues for ferrets is that 95% of them show some signs of periodontal disease.

Brushing your pet’s teeth may seem like an unnecessary chore because you are under the impression that the hard kibble you feed is cleaning your pet’s teeth. Think about all the things you eat throughout the day would you want to go a day without brushing your teeth at least once?

We as pet parents need to get past the outdated notion that we only have to worry about their teeth only when a problem shows up that can lead to unseen expense or issues that could have been prevented or have a better outcome.

Think about it this way we schedule yearly dental exams for our children and ourselves and some of us do the six-month check up. We brush our teeth anywhere from two to 3 times a day. If our teeth start to hurt, we make a dentist appointment immediately to get rid of the pain. So why should our pets be any different?

Our pets depend on us to know what to do for them beyond the scope of monitoring their bathroom, eating habits, and their medical needs.

One of the more serious dental issues for our pets is Stomotitis, which is the medical jargon for inflammation of the oral cavity and can lead to the removal of some teeth and in extreme cases all the teeth like our friend Mario da Cat

We as pet owners need to be aware of our pet’s mouth and by brushing their teeth weekly if not daily allows us to see any changes that we might miss if we only rely on the annual vet check up.

When was the last time you brushed your pet’s teeth?

How often do you look into your pet’s mouth?

Who was is considered the father of microbiology?

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

National Pet Dental and Heart Month

February highlights two very important health issues for both humans and their pets. We humans know that we need to take care of our teeth and hearts for various reasons but we don’t often think that we need to do the same for our beloved pets. There is research that shows there is a direct link between dental care and heart issues.

Dental care has been pushed in the last few years and now we can’t go a day without seeing an ad on television for products that help keep the tarter off our dog/cat’s teeth but they are not the only pets that need good dental care.

Heart health is just now starting to get some publicity but not though the traditional media. We are learning more about it from those we follow on twitter, Google +, Facebook, and many blogs and in some instances conferences, such as Blog Paws.

Again, the most focus is on dogs and cats but ferrets are also among those that get heart disease and what is surprising is that there seems to be a link between the lack of a specific supplement and heart disease that both cats and ferrets need. This link has been established in dogs as well but they produce the supplement naturally.

For the month of February, I will be writing about these things.

Without googling what supplement do you think cats and ferrets need?

What dental problems can pets have?

Do you brush your pet’s teeth?

Or do you have yearly dental cleanings performed at the vet’s office?

The Flu Isn’t Just For Humans

It’s here that wonderful fall season which also brings with it the not so wonderful influenza virus better known as the flu. The flu is no fun for us humans but what many don’t realize is that we can give the flu to others species.

Ferrets are susceptible to all strains of the flu virus, which also includes the swine flu. Unfortunately, there is no flu shot for ferrets. The flu can be transmitted from human to ferret or from ferret to human.

When I have a cold, I take extra precautions to prevent giving it to my ferrets. This includes using hand sanitizer before and after touching any of my fur kids, along with wearing a mask to limit the amount of germs I breathe onto them.

I also monitor them for any flu like symptoms such as:

• Any discharge from the nose or eyes.
• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Loss of appetite
• Weakness and lethargy
• Fever Normal temperature range is 101-103 degrees
• Puffy eyes

Sound familiar? Yep they are the same symptoms we get when we get a cold/flu. For many ferrets, having the flu isn’t a big deal but for those with depressed immune systems due to disease or being a senior having the flu can lead to complications such as pneumonia can prove to be fatal.

Any ferret that has stopped eating/drinking for more than a day or two and/or has a weakened immune system needs to be seen by their vet to evaluate and treat the ferret accordingly.

Like humans, most ferrets will recover from their cold/flu in five to fourteen days.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Update On Marcuz and Other Things

 

Marcuz is back to his old self. Climbing things he shouldn’t and trying to be the dominate male. For now Manny is letting him think that he has won but it will only last until Manny gets tired of Marcuz pushing him around.

For that I am grateful as I am for those that have donated towards the Ferret Chariot. There are so many amazing people out there thank you all.

I am sure that most of you noticed that I’ve been gone for a week both on my blog and twitter. While I could just say I nothing I feel that an explanation is needed.

First you need to know I suffer from Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD) it is a type of depression that hits many in the winter months or those that don’t get a lot of sun. 

There isn’t really a lot known about it and while mine is mild it can become extreme if I am not careful. Which is what happened.

Marcuz getting hurt was just the start. The stress from not being able to get him help and the weird weather threw off my sleeping and eating habits.

Then finding out about a friend losing someone to suicide brought up some unresolved issues of losing someone extremely close to me on the 15th sent me deeper down that dark road.

The final nail that made me withdraw was the fire that cost two people I’ve never met everything and I felt helpless that all I could offer them was a few handmade toys.

I needed to get myself collected and back into the habits that help me deal with my own depression that could have affected how well Marcuz recovered. I know our pets can feel our moods and will try to make us happy.

I didn’t want Marcuz trying to do his funny jig so I would laugh it would have been and is still too soon for him to do that type of wiggling.

So I am back into the habits that keep my SADs in check and the fact that the sun has been out more helps but I am still not 100% but then I don’t think any of us hoomans are ever 100% but I am a lot closer than I was.

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Top 10 Ferret Shelter Needs

 

In featuring Lucky yesterday I realized that most don’t know what a ferret shelter/rescue needs are so here are the top 10.

10. Cleaning Supplies this includes but not limited to:

• Paper towels
• Cloth towels
• baby wipes
• laundry detergent
• Simple Green

9. Medical Supplies

• Alcohol pads
• Ferretone
• lancets
• glucometer
• gauze wrap/pads
• Q-tips®
• tweezers
• Benadryl®
• Distress Remedy

8. Treats

• Bandit® from Marshall
• Greenies®
• Ferretone
• Fer-vite
• Chew weasel
• Foamy fries

7. Grooming

• brush
• ferret shampoo
• small animal nail clippers
• Q-tips®
• Fer-lax
• Ferretone
• pet toothpaste/brush
• towels/drying sack

6. Bedding/ Litter

• Hammock
• sleeping sack
• blankets
• Any non-clumping, no fragrance, no clay litter.

5. Toys

• Jingle balls
• stuffed mice
• socks
• squeaky toys
• infant toys that aren’t rubber/latex

4. Ferret Food

• Marshall’s Ferret Food
• Evo
• 8 in 1
• Zupreem
• Young Again
• Path Valley

3. Cages/ Carriers

Made for rabbit/guinea pig/ferret

Carriers for easier transport to vet or foster homes

2. Volunteers/foster homes

 

1. Donations

Can be gift cards to the local pet store, Wal-Mart™, grocery store, gas card.

Find out where the shelter/rescue takes their fur babies and donate to their vet account.

Monetary to the rescue/shelter itself.

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Duck Soup

 

Over the weekend I was talking on twitter about feeding Marcuz his duck soup forgetting that most of my twitter followers are dog, cat, and other pet owners and don’t know much if anything about ferrets.

Duck soup named after a ferret named Lucky Duck whose owner and vet came up with a food he could eat when he was very ill and now the name is given to many concoctions that help a sick or injured ferret get back on their tiny paws when they don’t feel like eating.

Marcuz is getting both his regular kibble and his duck soup as he just doesn’t have the energy to eat enough of his hard food to keep his weight up.

Next to Marcuz Manny looks like extremely fat. Which he isn’t but he is a big boy to say the least.

Most duck soups are just that a soupy consistency that can be lapped up easily and are just as easily digested.

There are many recipes for Duck soup but I just make mine as needed from the boys kibble.

My recipe is:

1/2 cup of Marshall’s Ferret Food

1/2 to 1 cup of Water depending on the consistency I want

3 T of Ferretone

1 T of Ferretvite

1-2 T of Chicken baby food (omitted because Marcuz doesn’t like chicken)

I mix this all together and heat it for 4 minutes in the microwave then stir it until the kibble becomes a soft mush. The more water the more soup like it becomes.

I store this in the refrigerator and scoop out the amount I need for a serving.  This makes enough to fill a small margarine tub.

Last night I added some bacon drippings to the mush and Marcuz ate it up a lot faster and he also ate more of it. I give him the soup twice a day so that he thinks he is getting a treat before getting his meds.

I let Manny have some just so he doesn’t feel left out.

Marcuz is playing more as well and he pinned Manny during a wrestling match. I think Manny let him win though.

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

 

Jo

Marcuz’ Vet Visit

 

Marcuz was great until Saturday morning after breakfast. It is still unclear as to what happened. I fed both him and Manny their breakfast and went to do some chores for about an hour.

Returning to let them out for playtime only to find Marcuz laying on the bottom of cage in an awkward position and unable to move his front paws or hold his head upright.

I gently picked him up and carefully checked to see if I could find anything wrong. The only thing Marcuz did was flinch a couple of times along with grinding his teeth, a sign of pain, but I couldn’t feel anything out of place.

I then placed Marcuz in the travel tote I have for the boys which has a nice fleece bed and a soft blanket in it. I heated up one of my handmade rice packs and put that in with him as well. That seemed to help him relax enough that his paws were no longer sticking straight out as if he was part of a zombie movie.

So started our long weekend of Rescue® Remedy, heat and ice, gentle massage, and range of motion. Marcuz slept a lot more than normal for a ferret but I am sure that the pain wore him out.

I know the whole weekend wore me out as Marcuz wasn’t able to move himself well I had to reposition him every few hours so his skin didn’t break down as well.  I also had to hold him upright so he could go to the bathroom.

A ferret lifts his tail over his rump and uses it like a pump to release the waste matter and food should travel from mouth to rear in 3-4 hours.

Roomie offered to watch Marcuz while I slept a little bit. The nap I took helped to refresh me and cleared my mind enough to realize that our vet has something called Pet Portal which allows you to ask questions and request appointments. Only thing was they had changed the format since the last time I had used it. I filled out a form and submitted it.

By Monday Marcuz didn’t want eat anything but furo-tone®  and Greenies® and I still hadn’t been able to find a ride to the vet’s. Nor could I get through to talk to some one at the vet’s office.

I asked a friend if she could take me to the vet’s on Tuesday as that was when I had requested the appointment only to find out she had appointments of her own.

Tuesday brought on a new problem green diarrhea which can indicate a nasty bug called ECE. Ferret owners call it the green slime disease more on that in another post.

Tuesday night I hadn’t heard back from the vet office so I went back to the Pet Portal and it was then I realized that I had filled out the wrong form. I submitted the right form and heard from the vet office the next morning and was given an appointment time that worked for my friend as well.

Wednesday afternoon had us at the vet’s office. Gave the tech the stool sample. She had never seen ferret poop and trying to accurately describe it was a challenge.

She asked if I had any problems holding Marcuz while she took his temperature. Ferrets will poop if something startles them by touching their anus and Marcuz pooped a lot of green slimey poop his temp was elevated. What I didn’t know was green poop will stain things. Next she weighed Marcuz and he is a 2.5 pound boy.

Then we had to wait for the vet. Who let me know right away that she wasn’t overly knowledgeable about ferrets and felt I should try another vet that might be more so. The ones I know about are another fifty plus miles away from me in any direction and impossible to get to without transportation of my own.

She then examined Marcuz from head to toe and asked my opinion about getting an X-ray done of his spine which I told her I wanted done to rule out possible breaks or dislocations.

Marcuz did great and I forgot my camera so I couldn’t take a picture of the awesome X-ray of his spine and what it revealed.

 

This is not of Marcuz but it shows the skeletal system well. Note where the neck, front leg, and back are.

Note the spacing between each vertebrae or disk. It is approximately 1/8th of an inch apart. Marcuz’ X-ray revealed a narrowing of the space between the disk just after his shoulder and the next one in his back.

While it doesn’t appear to be pinching a nerve it is causing some issues with his front legs and neck.

But the prognosis is good for a full recovery provided I can keep Marcuz from doing what ferrets do best which is running, climbing, jumping, and basically doing everything for the next couple of weeks.

He is also on four different types of medications. Two for his green slime and two for his back. 

As of this writing his green slimey poop is getting back to normal ferret poop color and consistency and his energy level is raising.  He is also using his front paws more and is able to use the litter box on his own.

Because I have to limit his movement he has been upgraded from the tote to the boys travel carrier. Where he has access to water, food, a soft bed and his litter box. His play time for the moment consists of massage, range of motion to his front legs and lots of love and petting.

The vet said it maybe a one time thing but more than likely it could happen again and it might not have happened on Saturday but could have happened months before and Marcuz either moved wrong or Manny landed on him the wrong way when they were playing in the cage.

Cost of going to the vet for an emergency was almost two hundred dollars. Half of that is Marcuz’ medication of which I get to wear pretty pink polka dots of amoxicillin at least once a day.

Disclosure: The X-ray photo do not belong to me but to Ferret Health and Long Beach Animal Hospital

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Not So Wordless Wednesday

 

The weekend before Valentine’s Day Marcuz got hurt. Which would not have been a problem except I didn’t have transportation to the vet’s and relying on friends doesn’t always mean you will get the result you want.

So I am reaching out to those in the Anipal community to help Enlightened Ferret get a vehicle. The ideal one would be a Dodge® Caravan.

Every donor will have the choice of having their name or twitter name placed on the vehicle. The finished painted vehicle will be featured in a thank you blog post with links to everyone’s blog or business page.

Finally we would give a ride to two lucky donors and their pets to Blog Paws 2012. Who are along our route which will be Interstate 80 from Western Pennsylvania to the hotel in Salt Lake City, Utah and back.

Once at Blog Paws another photo will be taken with those attending and the supported vehicle.

Thank you for your support.

 

and as always have a Chittering Good Day,

 

Jo

Medical Care

Not all veterinarians take care of ferrets. Having a vet that knows about ferrets is a plus when you have to take your fuzzy butt to get his/her vaccines or they are sick or injured.

Vets that take care of ferrets are often referred to as an exotic vet.
This does not mean that the ferret is a wild animal. There are two categories of exotics. Wild exotic and domestic exotic, all the word exotic refers to is the fact you have decided to have an unusual pet.

Be pro active in the care of your ferret. Don’t know what something means then ask. Most are willing to tell you what they meant and how it will affect your ferret.

I have had both good and bad vet experiences. The bad vet had only her opinion and would not except any other possible outcomes, my new and great vet not only tells me what he thinks is going on with my fur babies but will discuss different options with me.

I am constantly asking questions and doing my own independent research about ferrets, something more ferret owners need to do.

Ferrets need to have a rabies vaccine and canine distemper and should also have a heartworm preventative as all of these can prove to be fatal for your ferret.

Ferrets are prone to certain issues such as:

Adrenal
Insulinoma
Mast cell tumors
Juvenile carcinoma

These four top the list of medical issues. There is also the flu, bruises, broken bones, teeth, hearing, and eye problems.

Ferrets can get/give the flu from/to you and while you can treat the flu at home you need to be aware of any changes that don’t seem to be part of having the flu.

This is just a brief overview of some of the medical care a ferret could need in his/her short lifespan. By being proactive in your ferret’s healthcare you know you are doing the very best for them. Medical care can range from a hundred dollars: Basic office visit, to the thousands: surgery or nercropsy

While there are a couple of pet insurances that do cover ferrets be sure to read the fine print as they don’t often cover certain surgeries or types of care.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo