Ferrets and Fleas
Eeeks! I found three fleas on Fausto. I haven’t seen a flea in a long time. I hate to use chemicals on the ferrets so usually I just comb them out and give them a bath. In the spirit of fighting fleas I have stolen this article off the Internet: http://petdoc.com/story/ferrets-and-fleas
Ferrets and fleas
Written by AniMed.org
So, you thought that only dogs and cats could get fleas? Think again! Ferrets are just as susceptible to these pesky little parasites. Your fuzzball can bring home some unwanted guests after a supervised walk around the garden with you, but indoors-only ferrets are also at risk – particularly if you share your home with dogs, or a cat who has access to a yard.
Ferret fleas are no fun!
Playing host to fleas is no fun for ferrets. Aside from making your pet extremely uncomfortable, fleas can pass on internal parasites such as tapeworms. In the case of severe infestation, a ferret can become dangerously anemic.
You'll need to have a safe, effective strategy to keep your ferret flea-free. First, it's smart to conduct regular spot checks. Simply look for small black specks on your little guy's skin. You may also notice them on his bedding or towels. Known as "flea dirt," these specks are a sign that your pet (and your home) are host to fleas. You might also see actual bites on your animal's skin, or notice that his fur is thinning or discolored.
Ferret flea and tick shampoo can work wonders
If you think your pet has fleas, you'll want to get rid of them – fast! The following tips can help ensure a safe, speedy resolution of the problem:
* Check with your veterinarian before using any flea-control product. He or she can determine whether your pet is healthy enough to undergo chemical treatment, and can recommend the safest, most effective plan. This is of utmost importance when you're dealing with young, sick or older animals.
* There are a variety of shampoos and sprays available especially for ferrets. In general, most products formulated for kittens are safe for ferrets, but again, consult with your vet first!
* Beware of flea-control products that contain organophosphates or petroleum distillates, which are dangerous for your fuzzball. And flea collars and flea dips should never be used on a ferret, even if they are labeled for use on kittens.
* Always read the label on any product you're going to use, and be sure to follow the instructions carefully and exactly!
Fleas call for a clean sweep
In addition to eradicating the adult fleas on your ferret, you'll need to tackle the eggs and larvae that live in rugs, upholstery and your pet's housing and bedding. You may, in fact, wish to replace the bedding completely, but you'll still need to launder it regularly. Be sure to thoroughly wash the cage, cage furniture, dishes and toys, and ask your veterinarian about a ferret-safe flea spray you can use in and around the cage. It's also a great help to vacuum – just remember to throw out the bag regularly. And finally, keep in mind that no matter your plan of attack, treat all animals in the house, not just the ones with obvious symptoms.
Ferret flea control bombs
In cases of severe household infestation, you may need to "flea bomb" the home with an insect fogger. Ask your vet to suggest a brand, and follow directions carefully. To cover all bases, you might have to re-fog in two weeks when the eggs have hatched. During each application, you must evacuate all human and animal residents in your home for about four hours.
If fleas seem to be a recurrent problem, consider asking your veterinarian about long-term treatments. These preventive medicines are applied directly to an animal's skin and work to kill fleas before any eggs are laid. While these medicines, available by prescription only, are not labeled for use on ferrets, a great many ferret-savvy veterinarians have found them safe and very effective; ask your pet's doctor for more information.
Free Stuff
My ferrets recently passed away. We still have lots of bedding, treats, etc. that have not been opened. Are you interested in it, or know of someone who could use it. It seems a shame to just throw it all away. Please let me know if you would like all our extra ferret supplies.
Thank you,
Jamie S
sunanmoonstar@yahoo.com
Note - Jamie lives in the Carmel Valley area of San Diego
Return of Lost Ferret
(I think there must be a patron saint of lost ferrets)
I got my little girl back last weekend, except for a chipped canine tooth she's no worse for the wear. What an adventure she had. Some homeless people found her and sold her to a neighbor across the street. He took her to Imperial Beach to give to his girlfriend. Afterwards, he saw one of my lost pet flyers and talked with his girlfriend about it. She called me last Friday and he returned her Saturday. I paid them back for the ferret supplies they bought and the money he paid for her and now I'm a hundred dollars poorer but so happy to have her home. Posting flyers really did help. Now that she's home I'd like to volunteer us for the calendar photo shoot. Nutmeg is real playful and has some favorite toys she'll probably respond to outside of home. Let me know if you need our help. I'd need a ride unless the place is on a bus line. Thanks so much for your help.
Sheri
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Small Claims Case “Under Submission”
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| I wanted Judge Judy |
On Wednesday May 4th I was in small claims court in San Diego suing the Department of Fish and Game for their statement that “ferrets are voracious predators…”
Click here to read the documentation I gave the judge which explains it very nicely.
I got to court at 9 am for the 9:30 case. Court personnel came out to explain the proceedings. They were extraordinarily pleasant and explained the process. They said this was not like TV, no one would be called an idiot and everyone treated with respect. “Darn!” I thought, “I want Judge Judy!”
DFG did send a wildlife biologist to represent their side, I did not get his name but he was a pleasant enough man.
The judge said I filed the case prematurely and it was not served properly and asked my opponent if he wanted to proceed. His response was the case was without merit and we might as well get it over with. I followed the instructions as you can see from the documentation.
| Note from Bonnie - Specifically, section 818.8 which states, “A public entity is not liable for an injury caused by misrepresentation by an employee of the public entity, whether or not such misrepresentation be negligent or intentional”. Just another example of California bureaucracy designed to confound and confuse its citizens into submission. That said, you should note that section 814 of this same code does say that while you will not receive or win any money in this case, you could possibly still win an injunction against DFG forcing them to cease making “voracious predator” claims. This is how Rhone Mireaux shut them up |
In their defense DFG relied on two documents. One was California Government Code 815-818.9 which to my understanding says government employees are not liable for anything they say.
My response was I was not familiar with that law, I am not an attorney, and that DFG used to claim there was no approved rabies vaccine for ferrets despite USDA approval for one made my Rhone Mireaux and they kept repeating that until threatened with a lawsuit.
He also cited our own research from the Sacramento State University Study but I couldn’t and can’t find what he mentioned. I believe he took one of the statements that DFG or someone said that the study discredits. But of course he didn’t give her the rebuttal part.
The judge did take time to read my material and asked how the claim that ferrets are “voracious predators of what they eat” hurt us. When I explained that calling ferrets “voracious predators” hurt our efforts to attract a legislator – which we spent thousands of dollars in candidate surveys, she seemed unimpressed. She asked for an actual dollar amount – which is impossible to come up with – I said it would easily surpass the $5,000 we are seeking.
The DFG spokesmen went on a bit about how ferrets could pose a threat. I easily countered --- “just one example in the whole United States and I’ll drop the suit.”
The judge asked what motivation DFG has to malign ferrets and I said I didn’t know. Best we could guess is it is a power struggle but that question belongs to the other side.
Then DFG went on about tilapia in the Colorado River and how they were assured it couldn’t happen (that they could survive.) I said that had nothing to do with ferrets and it was unfair for him to take that direction.
In closing I said it was important that DFG is prevented from making these outrageous statements that conflict with their own data. I pointed to the response from the California Department of Food and Agriculture where their official answer is they don’t know of any ferrets causing trouble. If they don’t know – how can they call ferrets “voracious predators?” I asked the judge to stand up for the little guy because it is an uneven battle and we need the help.
DFG said just because they don’t know doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.
The judge took the material, the entire Sac State Report and all my notes. All she got from DFG was California code 815-818.9 and one page from the Sac State Report.
We spent 45 minutes in front the judge – most small claims cases are heard in 10 minutes.
She took the case under submission. This to me is not a good sign. I think I should have won on the spot. But this was not an ideal case for Small Claims Court. The judge knew nothing about ferrets or this issue at the beginning. And who is more believable – a government wildlife biologist or a ferret fanatic?
However, I think I did an excellent job. If the judge spends any time at all researching the subject we should win. Alas, I’m not that optimistic. A little hopeful but I just don’t expect a small claims judge to have the courage to stand up to a state agency.
As we turned around and exited the court I saw the people behind us – waiting to have their cases heard. I apologized and said they shouldn’t have taken our case first. One man said “thank you – you need to stand up for your rights.”
Our TV Commercial is on the Air
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This was in Joe Ferret's Facebook page Sunday Morning. Thank you Vicki A - you made my morning!
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Our thirty second TV commercial is running in the Burbank and Pasadena area on HGTV, Animal Planet and the Discovery Channel since Thursday evening. We only see the slightest increase in activity at legalizeferrets.org.
I was hoping the news media would pick it up. Does anyone have a contact at CNN? I don’t expect the commercial to reach millions of people itself but to be a newsworthy item. So far it hasn’t received any news coverage.
Regardless, thanks to everyone who contributed. I think it was a positive thing to do and perhaps it will still generate a little buzz around our issue.
Cary Chitwood at the Fish and Game Commission
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Next meeting June 29 & 30 in Stockton. Who would like to represent us?
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Cary gave a nice presentation at the F&G Commission meeting public comments period on May 5th in Ontario. The Commissioners listened politely and then said “next speaker.”
It is extremely important that we have a speaker at each meeting.
It has been very interesting to watch the public comments period and the reaction from the Commissioners. I imagine it isn’t too fun to sit there – some people take pot shots, there is one guy who is always there dripping with sarcasm. But Commissioner Rogers came to life when a young angler came to the Commission with his concerns about bass.
The point is – ferrets don’t belong under their jurisdiction. They have nothing to do with Fish or Game, they’re domestic house pets. The Commissioners have no interest in a small house pet that gives people joy.
Ferret Calendar Shoots – The Most Fun You Can Have at a Ferret Meeting
 It is time to do our ferret photo shoots for the 2012 Legalize Ferrets Calendar. This will be our third calendar, and unless there is another mix up in ferrets (as in people taking home the wrong ferret!) it is nothing but fun.
And we get to make money for ferret legalization at the same time.
Joan Dooly is our photographer for this issue. She wants to capture ferrets being themselves so bring your ferret’s favorite items. Obviously, filming ferrets is no easy task.
The first photo shoot is June 4th in San Diego 3 to 6 pm, followed by a pizza party.
We are trying to find a location for the next week in Orange County. If you can suggest a safe location please let me know. We put this request in last two weeks and received no response. If we had won our small claims case I would have shopped for a studio to use. C’mon Orange County – I know you want your ferrets to star in the 2012 Calendar.
We are going to feature one ferret each month on the calendar so if you love your ferrets’ vet – please nominate him or her. We’ll put their photo, contact info and why you nominated them in the calendar. It is our way of offering a little useful information along with such cute ferret photos.
Photo: Jared picking out the stars for the 2011 Legalize Ferrets Calendar.
Time to Craft Legislation
It is time to put together the legislation we want submitted to legalize ferrets and look for another legislative sponsor. We need to think of what we want in a bill that would garner support. Most commonly mentioned are:
• Mandatory spay/neuter
• Proof of rabies vaccine
We are leaning against mandatory micro chipping. There is some conversation about a license fee; some people feel any ferret legalization bill would be more attractive to legislators if it was income generating.
Remember that Arnold Schwarzenegger vetoed SB83 because it was too bureaucratic in addition to wanting the EIR – I truly believe we need to keep it simple.
We do have a legislator in the Sacramento area who may help us craft the bill – but no guarantee he’ll introduce it.
In Conclusion
I feel we’ve passed a hump. The commercial is running and the small claims case has been heard.
No one can say we’re not doing anything – we’re doing a lot! Are we accomplishing anything? I certainly hope so but that isn’t as easy to say.
In the months ahead I hope we can keep working on the Fish and Game Commission. They will never support us but perhaps we can lessen the opposition. We need to really put a proposal on the table and garner support. And we need to keep growing Ferrets Anonymous and LegalizeFerrets.org
My thanks to Bonnie T for helping with this week's issue - as well as last week. It isn't easy to get help on a Sunday, Mother's Day no less. Bonnie - did those kids of you treat you to a nice Mother's Day?
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