ferret100
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Posts posted by ferret100
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OK, I'm going to attempt to start a decent thread on Polecats (or dark ferrets) if that's at all possible....and before you groan and start typing "they're not polecats, they're dark ferrets", read the thread and try and input something worth reading...
I got an animal from Redtail on Sunday after my hob had passed away. If you'd have asked me about polecats before Sunday I'd have said exactly the same as most of you on here.....they ain't polecats, they're dark ferrets and they're just a money making scheme.
Now bare in mind, Redtail gave me this animal so I'm not trying to justify any payments or anything.....and I will never breed any animal so I'm not trying to put a price tag on any future litters....nor am I trying to make out it's some sort of super ferret, if it performs as well as a normal, decent ferret I will be happy.
Whether it is a polecat or not there are definitely some very noticable differences between this animal and every other ferret I have ever owned (approximately 12-15 ferrets). I know it's based on only 2 or 3 days of one animal, but the differences I've noticed so far...
....the fur is more oily and has a stronger smell.
....it eats like a feckin horse!!!
....it's more timid than any ferret kit I've had in the past, it's still getting used to me but when I approach the cage it runs into the nest box rather than straight to the front of the cage like ferrets normally do.
....it explores with more caution than ferrets I've ever seen before, they normally just bumble around, eyes down and exploring, this one is constantly looking around and up in the air before it goes into a new area.
....it seems to have much better eyesight than ferrets, it's hard to explain without seeing it but if you're walking past, it will look you in the eye and it's eyes will be completely fixed on you as you pass (as in it turns its head to follow you).
....it doesn't wriggle or scratch or anything when you hold it, it just sits completely still and if you sit it on your knee if will curl up and go to sleep like a cat.
....and the thing that is swaying me towards the opinion that it is actually more than just a dark ferret is the fact is just isn't vibing with my jill. Every single other time I've introduced a hob and a jill in the yard they have done exactly the same, they've had a sniff and then started the usual bouncing around and playing and after a bit would go into the nest box and curl up and go to sleep. With this one there's none of that, they sniffed each other but haven't played or anything once, they seem to give each other a bit of a wide berth and just tolerate each other with my jill just giving him a nip on the neck if he gets in her way. When they go in the nest box they curl up at opposite ends of the box. If he pokes his head out of the nest box and she's eating, he'll watch from a distance and as soon as she steps away from the dish he'll dart in and grab a mouthful and then run off.
I'm not saying it's definitely a polecat, what I'm saying is it's definitely different to any other ferret I've ever seen or owned. What are peoples thoughts on this? Again, I know it's only based on one animal but if it isn't a polecat and is just a dark ferret, how do people explain why is acts so differently to what I've seen before? I've probably not explained or emphasised the differences very well, but it is a very different animal to a normal ferret.
And I know it's a bit too much to ask but can we keep the flippant, dismissive comments to a minimum please....if you're adamant it's just a ferret then see if you can come up with a reasonable, sensible reason for why it's doing any of the above.
I'll try and film a few of these behaviours later just so any of you that haven't seen this 'type' can see what I'm on about. It'll be interesting to see how any of the above changes as it gets more used to its surroundings, my jill and me.
I have some male hybrids, as in EU Polecat x domesticated ferret.
At 7 weeks old they were the size of an average ferret jill and smelt like a hob coming into season. They were timid but prepared for a row. They live with my ferrets just fine now. They were more difficult to nip-train (still nippy now for no real reason) and seem to have a temper at times. They have better eyesight and aren't easily distracted with surroundings. They are built much stronger than ferrets and generally seem to only do what pleases them. Mine have been handled by children (supervised) and have been no bother, but they aren't exactly of the same temperament/behavioural pattern as ferrets.
Yours should settle down soon, he'll need plently of handling, but he'll adjust in time. He might not ever act like a ferret, but pretty close.
We all know what a polecat coloured ferret looks like. The noticably dark colour has come from people trapping EU polecats and breeding them with domesticated polecat coloured ferrets to sell to people for 'showing' classes for a profit. Nonetheless, to get a 'dark ferret', EU Polecat has been bred recently into the genes.
IMO, if was a true EU Polecat, he wouldn't stay still and sleep on your lap, imagine he's a hybrid. Same as humans, kids can pick up more genes from one side than the other, best you can hope for is he has more ferret genes than EU polecat. ATB with him. Put this vid on cause this makes me laugh!
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If your knee was twice the size of the other and two doctors took a look and suspected you'd fractured it, would you turn down an x-ray and not take painkillers?
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If the meat smells bad then don't feed it. Wild animals eat rotten meat if they can't catch their own dinner, so they too also run the risk of poisoning, but they don't understand rotten meat is as likely to kill them as having/being incapable of having prey to catch. Rotting meat is no good for domesticated animals. Atb.
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They look like EU/ferret hybrids. If you can handle them well, then they inherited more of the ferret genes. Find hybrids to be stubborn, contrary and unpredictable. But each is not the same, wish the best with them.
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Malt paste is high sugar, not good for ferts, same as lactose in milk. Ferrets Formula will do the same job as malt paste without filling your ferret with sugar. People say Ferretone is useful, but filled with sugar same as malt paste.
Edited to say, ferts can cough and be sick for no significant reason. If occasional vomiting/coughing persists for 3 days plus, then needs seen by a vet. If vomiting/coughing often in a short space of time, then vet visit asap. Atb
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Ferret100.... You don't agree with backyard breeders? So way breeding do you agree with? Laboratory breeding?
Yeah, test tube ferts...they're the new micro/weasel/EU,,,catch up ffs!
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If the pet shop houses the ferts in a good enriched, clean environment, tends them well, has the ferts well socialised, gives accurate advice/discretion on looking after ferrets, then fair play. But if they have them in wee cages/persplex boxes with nothing to do (odd tunnel and litter tray doesn't count), then no.... pets shops prey on kiddies to come in and stare through the cage and whinge 'I want it'/or for people to come in and think 'poor wee lonely thing', it's all marketing ploys. Unforunately the more people that buy from pet shops promote the 'puppy sale' (purchasing an animal from pity).I don't agree with pet store animal sales, personal view, don't agree with backyard breeders either.
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Time & patience. She doesn't seem to have been brought up too kindly. She's on the offence. If she's that bad, use gloves and handle her plenty in the meanwhile.Try and make sure every time you handle her, it's worth her while (bit of meat/ferrets formula), she'll learn to realise you're well worth being around. She just seems very insecure and wants to defend herself before there is a real reason to. Keep her well fed, nothing acts well on an empty stomach. She'll click on and probably be very easy to deal with once she realises no harm is coming her way. Atb.
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Ragwort is a right pain. Toxic whether fresh or dried. It needs pulled out before it flowers to save alot of bother. However, I cannot see any need to report Ragwort to a local council unless your livery yard refuses to deal with the issue. Even so, it's a private matter regarding the owner of the grounds. How did these horses and goats consume Ragwort?
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Does he do this everytime he gets fed? Is he usually asleep or wake before you go to put their food in?
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Ferrets can get worms. Worms do not care what diet their host is fed nor the rate of their digestive system. They don't float about in the intestines ready to be crapped out by some feathers or fur, they burrow into the intestinal wall and will continue to pass microscopic eggs into the local environment via the hosts faeces, to be ingested by another host.
How on earth would internal parasites continue to thrive if they just turned up with a "hi, here I am, yep I got crapped out, you found me!"
Edited to say
Wormers are passed through the system fairly quickly, the wormers are administered to carry out a job, they don't tend to linger about......hence why worming in many species needs to be done regularly.
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If you had the choice would you rather your horse seek treatment for a muscular injury from a equine massage therapist or equine physiotherapy? as some people say there isnt much different in the type of work they both do but then others would totally disagree, obviously by experience and seeing the horses benefits afterwards
Tbh, an equine phys should carry out massage therapy if the horse requires it. Either a treatment course requires physio, or it doesn't. It depends on the injury. Are you referring to a specific injury or a general question?
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No pointers, sounds like she may be externally & internally deformed. Doubt the prognosis is great. Atb.
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Glaucoma/cataract/trauma...hard to say, but really needs seen by a vet before self-medicating.
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The reason that causes rats tail is unknown, but it is hormone related. Causes no harm and should grow out at the latest by the next moult. It does tend to happen more in summer. Atb.
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Have another chat and see, but it's harder for them to mess about when they have to put it in writing. Plus if you have their response in writing and it isn't good enough then you can forward this to the RCVS or solicitor if you wish. They didn't harm your ferret or carry out the wrong op deliberately, but they should be making the upmost effort to make up for their mistake. Not sure what the RCVS could/would do, it's really only vets who are really dodgy that get reprimanded/struck off....lol like the one who was selling lions from Basildon Zoo for exotic pets on the black market when the Zoo shut down. She reported that the animals have died or had to be PTS when she was pocketing serious money for selling them....that wasn't all she got up to either!
Edited to say they are cheeky beggars after you paid them for a ferret they didn't want. That's taking the p*ss. Atb.
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I would write/email the practice manager. Put it in writing to them, (make a copy if you write/print email otherwise) including details of the conversation with the vet and ask for a response within a few days. Have them put an offer back to you in writing, see what they say. As it was their mistake that now leaves you with jills that need brought out of season and a hob that cannot carry out the function for which you requested their services in the 1st place, you are happy to either have the practice jab the jills foc or they can refund the cost of the unrequested castration in addition to accepting their offer of a free vasectomy. They have caused this problem not you, you should be fully compensated. If they don't play ball, maybe speak to a Solicitor and let us all know who this vet practice is so we can avoid them and spread the word about that they carry out ops without ensuring they know which op is required and refuse to give satisfactory compensation with they f**k up. Atb.
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Did you atually speak to the vet carrying out the op beforehand? Did you express to them in person that you wanted your hob vascetomised? It would seem a bit rash to report the vet if it was a receptionist/vet nurse that booked your hob in for castration instead of vascectomy. If it was the vet that made the error, they still carried out a sucessful procedure and your ferret was returned to you in good health. There was no mistreatment or deliberate malpractice. It would be very unlikely that reporting the vet would affect their career, this is a issue with this certain Veterinary Practice.
However, regardless of who made the error, from a customer point of view it's just not good enough. I would expect a full refund and a free vasectomy on your next hob. Atb.
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Sorry nothing could be done for her, sad news. You did what you could. Atb.
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Same as in any professional, you always get those who give bad advice. Putting alcohol on ticks is a perfect example.
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'Ferrets Formula', really great stuff. How's your fert doing? Atb.
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Entirely up to you, if you think she'd be happier being with others or alone to get some rest, your call, you know her best and know what would be best fo her. Certainly if ferretone is what you have, go ahead, but might be worth while getting a natural product that doesn't contain the crap ferretone does for future use. Her problem sounds quite unusual, hope vet sorts it asap. Atb.
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It seems like some sort of abdominal issue, if she isn't pooing properly it could possibly be a blockage, which really isn't great. If you have any oil, olive/sunflower etc or even a specialised oil product for ferts, give her a teaspoon every few hours, if it is a blockage this will help her. Might be best to limit her food intake for now until she sees vet, maybe 2/3rds, even 1/2 of normal until she gets checked out in morning, no good to pack food into a swollen belly. But it might well be best to call vet now for advice, don't like the sound of this problem with your jill. Atb.
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Sorry to hear about your jill. Have you checked her teeth? Are her gums pale? Is she toileting ok? Seems like she is in discomfort if she is dragging her belly. Might be worth a quick call to vets and see if you have anything in the house that might ease her symptoms before morning. Atb.
Fussy stinker?
in Ferrets & Ferreting
Posted
They really can be contary creatures. They tend to imprint on what's edible as a kit. As adult ferts, some readily expand to what's on offer but some just don't regard 'new' meat/dried food as edible.
Personally disagree with starving an animal until it eats what you give it. Wouldn't be the first case of an animal dying from refusing to eat what the owner provides.