Triangle Ferret Lovers Newsletter

Issue 11, October/November 1996

Table of Contents

1. Training a Ferret to Come...
2. Next TriFL Meeting
3. October Meeting Notes
4. Annual TriFL Membership
5. Ferret Sitters Needed
6. New Ferret Game
7. Controlling Ferret Odor in Your Home
8. Ferretone (or Linatone) and Vitamin A
9. Cage for Sale!
10. What is ECE?
11. Rabies Shedding Studies
12. Pet Loss Support Groups
13. Ferret Shelter Information
14. Triangle Ferret Lovers Online
15. Newsletter Address

Frantically, you search the house, calling their names. Your heart races as you rush outside with the flashlight, calling them, looking under bushes, searching for clues, listening to every rustle and night bird - but they don't come. You spend all night looking. The next day you call all the neighbors, plaster the neighborhood with "lost ferret" signs, advertise in the lost & found ads, but a week later, all you have left are the memories...

I hope this hasn't happened to you, but if you're "owned by ferrets" there's a chance that it has, at one time or another. Perhaps your story turned out better and you found them in the one place you didn't look, or they came scratching at the door at 2:00 a.m. But it doesn't always happen that way, and it doesn't HAVE to happen at all! With a little time and persistence, you can train them to come to your signal. Most ferrets respond to high pitched LOUD sounds, such as those a squeaky dog toy makes, but many people use other sounds - rattling bags, cans, etc. I like squeaky toys because the sound carries a long way, even outdoors.

1. Buy the loudest "squeaky" you can find. (WARNING: Avoid toys with protruding parts or external "squeakers." Toys should be made of relatively sturdy plastic or rubber and taken away from the ferrets at the first sign of chewing damage). No latex toys!
2. Introduce them to the toy by squeaking it near them. Most will come to investigate, but even if they don't, allow them to sniff it (they will probably try to drag it off!) and IMMEDIATELY give them a treat. Do that a few times, then let them down.
3. Continue to call them with the toy at random intervals over the next few days, and give them treats each time. Eventually, they'll begin to come to you every time they hear the squeak since they associate it (and you) with treats. They won't learn all at once, but you should have good results within a few days.
4. If you use the squeaky ONLY when you want to put them up for the evening, they'll begin to associate it with a negative thing (being put to bed), so use it frequently for any reason, or no reason at all. As long as you reward them each time, they won't mind!

Next TriFL Meeting!

TriFL needs your help in finding a monthly meeting location - central to the Triangle, large enough to accommodate 30-40 people, and a few friendly ferrets with litter boxes. Low cost or free is preferable. Suggestions include office conference room (not a fancy one!), church room or hall, civic organizations' building (Rotary Club, Lions Club, scouts, YMCA, Jaycees), school room, parks & recreation educational building, etc. If you can help, call Karen Marsh-Lovvorn (596-9393).

October Meeting Notes

1. TriFL members created a ferret information display case at the Durham County Main Library. Check it out through October!
2. We are still waiting on our non-profit status from the IRS.
3. A vote was taken to create the General Counsel officer position, to be held by Jeff Marsocci, for assistance with ferret legislation and other related issues.
4. November agenda items are: updates from committee chairs, planning activities for '97, fundraising, and ideas for our holiday party.
5. Our two local shelters have 14 ferrets up for adoption.
6. TriFL is offering free Nip Training services to area pet store owners/ managers/employees. We hope this will reduce the number of ferrets returned or given up and increase store sales. A half-day weekend "Ferret Day" at pet stores is being considered to provide their customers with club and educational information, training techniques, and answer ferret related questions. Local newspapers will advertise the event, thus a great opportunity for stores to bring in customers.
7. For our festival booth, we are in need of a semi-artist to help create new designs and displays.
8. TriFL still has ferret jewelry, Deborah Jean's book A Practical Guide to Ferret Care, cross stitch patterns, embroidered club shirts, caps, and bags for sale.
9. Anyone with articles, stories, or pictures for this newsletter should contact Shari or bring them to the next meeting.
10. There was not a Sep/Oct newsletter - Hurricane Fran overruled.

Annual TriFL Membership

Membership fees help to defray newsletter production, mailing costs to members, vets, and pet stores, as well as, information packets, booth fees, and a display exhibit with signage. TriFL is vital in providing ferret lovers information on care and activities. If you want to be a TriFL member, please send your dues to the club Treasurer Pam Taynor @ 4001 Cummings Circle #1-B, Raleigh, NC 27613.

Ferret Sitters Needed!

New Ferret Game

WHAT YOU DO: Tie one end of the string to the wall or something about 6 feet off the ground. String the top loop of the slinky through the string. Tie the other end of the string to something else about 6 feet off the ground. The slinky should be strung on the string so it can move. Take one of the ping pong balls and push it into the bottom of the slinky - should fit tight. Put one of the foose balls through the rungs of the slinky. Put the other ping pong ball into the slinky right on top of the foose ball. Put the other two foose balls on top of the ping pong ball. It should just skim the floor - if not, adjust the weight. Beginning bouncing this new toy up and down - add ferrets. Your ferret should try to grab it, but be careful the foose balls will fall out - just put them back in. Have fun!

Controlling Ferret Odor in Your Home

Ferretone (or Linatone) and Vitamin A

Dick Bossart - 4 Li'l Paws Ferret Shelter, NH

Cage For Sale!

What is ECE?

The hallmark of ECE is profuse watery diarrhea that is green to yellow in color. This is mostly bile. Vomiting can be an early sign of the illness, but is only reported in about half of ferrets affected. Digested blood in the stool, which resembles coffee grounds, or mucousy diarrhea are NOT signs of ECE, but are serious symptoms that deserve a veterinarian's prompt attention.

How is ECE transmitted?

ECE is believed to be caused by a coronavirus. Other coronaviruses cause diarrhea in cats, dogs and other domestic animals. Your ferret may acquire ECE directly from contact with an infected ferret or indirectly from your hands or clothing. Coronaviruses can live for hours on surfaces, so you could bring ECE back to your ferrets after visiting a ferret with the virus. Because the virus can be shed for five months or longer after infection, even an apparently healthy-looking ferret can pass along the virus.

Is there a test for ECE?

Not yet. Until a test is available for ferrets, the diagnosis is made based on the symptoms.

Can I treat my ferret for ECE at home?

That depends. Severe diarrhea in ferrets is similar to cholera in humans: rapid dehydration can lead to death within hours. You may need to force-feed rehydrating solution and possibly liquid food to your ferret. Pinch the loose skin on the back of your ferret's neck to check for dehydration. If the skin springs back to normal in more than a few seconds, your ferret is badly dehydrated and should be taken to a vet at once. On a weekend, call the emergency vet clinic ASAP. You may be able to rehydrate your ferret at home with an infant rehydrating solution such as Pedialyte or Infalyte, available in most grocery stores. Your ferret also will not want to eat when it is dehydrated, so you must restore the fluid and minerals first. (Do not rehydrate your ferret with sugary drinks such as Gatorade. Sugary liquids can pull water from the body and make things worse.) A plastic syringe can be used to force-feed the liquid to your ferret. Most pet stores that sell bird supplies will have syringes. Look for a 10-15 cc size.

After the virus strikes, your ferret will not be able to digest solid food at first. Liquid food for humans (Ensure, Sustacal, etc.) can be force-fed by syringe. This is not nutritionally balanced for long-term feeding but will give your ferret easy-to-digest calories when it counts.

Does any treatment treat the ECE itself?

Even if the virus is found, no antiviral treatments are available that could treat the virus itself. However, several drugs may help protect the gut such as kaolin pectin (Kaopectate), bismuth (Pepto Bismol), or sucralfate (Carafate)--the latter a prescription drug. Talk with your vet. Some vets have also prescribed a type of drug called an antispasmodic such as loperamide (Lomotil). These drugs can do more harm than good in situations where the gut is reacting to a toxin, so use these drugs with close supervision.

What can I expect after my ferret recovers?

Young, healthy ferrets seem to weather the infection better than older ferrets. Some ferrets never seem quite as robust following an outbreak. You may see signs of weakness or malnutrition and ask your vet about food supplements. Some ferret owners report that their ferrets have recurrent bouts of ECE at intervals of about six months although it is generally believed that once a ferret recovers from ECE, it is probably immune from further infection, although it may continue to be infective to other ferrets for months after the initial illness. For more information on ECE, contact the Triangle Ferret Lovers.

Rabies Shedding Studies

Pet Loss Support Groups

Please contact Karen Marsh-Lovvorn of Rogues Gallery at 596-9393 if you can adopt a shelter ferret!

TRIangle Ferret Lovers

4001 Cummings Circle

Raleigh, NC  27613

This web page is maintained by Pam Sessoms. I can be reached at: pjdutche@email.unc.edu.

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