Setting Up Your Ferret’s Health Plan: Vets and First-Aid Kits

In This Chapter

•  Choosing a good ferret vet
•  Taking your fuzzy for routine checkups and preventative vaccines
•  Filling your fuzzy first-aid kit with the essentials
•  Preparing for emergencies

Health issues are inevitable for most creatures, and ferrets are no different. That’s why you won’t find many unemployed veterinarians! You can go through loads of trouble to safeguard your ferret, but something’s bound to happen anyway. Some mishaps are preventable; others are not. Often, what has you running for the first-aid kit is an illness or an age-related problem. Here’s the bottom line: If the situation is something you can learn from, soak up the lesson so you can prevent the episode from happening again.

All ferret owners need to arm themselves with certain information and tools for those “just-in-case” situations. That’s what this chapter is all about. I discuss the process you should go through to select a qualified veterinarian for your fuzzy. Finding a good ferret vet at the very last, desperate moment can be difficult — if not life threatening — so start right away. Even if you aren’t facing an emergency, your ferret still needs routine checkups and vaccinations to ensure good health, so I cover these topics as well. I list the items that need to go into your very own fuzzy first-aid kit. Trust me, it’s better to have an unopened bottle of Betadine solution sit for ages than to get caught in a situation where you desperately need it but don’t have it. Finally, I show you how to prepare for emergency situations so you can care for your ferret in her most pressing time of need.

Remember

I get phone calls all the time from people asking me for advice about their sick ferrets. Remember: I’m not a vet, nor do I claim to be. You shouldn’t use this book in lieu of a visit to your vet. I purposely leave out dosage recommendations in this book because every ferret is different and every situation is different. You shouldn’t diagnose your ferret, or give her prescription or over-the-counter meds, without a veterinarian consult. Also, providing first aid for your ferret doesn’t mean you can forego a trip to the vet if the situation warrants it. Use your best judgment, and keep your ferret’s health and happiness in mind at all times.

Selecting Your Ferret’s Veterinarian

At some point, all responsible pet owners venture into a veterinarian’s office. A vet handles your pet’s routine care, answers questions about concerns you have, handles neuters/spays, and addresses any unforeseen emergencies. Your vet will become a part of your life, so knowing what to look for is important when searching for your ferret’s doctor.

Remember

In your search for a vet, you’ll encounter fancy, expensive veterinary facilities, modest, single-doctor practices, and many that fall in between. Don’t judge a vet’s abilities on looks alone. Rely on a vet’s reputation, recommendations you receive, and your gut feelings.

In the following sections, I cover some questions you should ask potential vets and the importance of swinging by for a visit before entrusting your pet to a particular vet or clinic. And because your vet can and should be your ally in your ferret’s care, I outline the ways you can develop a good working relationship with the doctor you choose.

Tip

Word of mouth is a wonderful way to find a good ferret vet. Talk to other ferret owners you know or who you can locate through your breeder or other acquaintances. Ask where they take their babies and what kind of care they receive. Call your local ferret shelter to see who people there recommend. With so many ferret-crazed people out there today, you’re bound to find a good veterinarian! (Chapter Enrichment: Yours and Your Ferret’s covers more ways to network with ferret owners.)

Interviewing potential vets

In your search for a vet, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Questions are your best tools. A good, professional veterinarian and staff will recognize your valid concerns and won’t hesitate to answer your questions as completely as possible.

Begin by calling a clinic and asking whoever answers the phone if the doctor treats ferrets. Some don’t and will refer you elsewhere. When you find a candidate that does treat fuzzies, do a little more investigation by asking the person on the phone if he has time to answer some questions. Better yet, leave a message for the vet to call you back. Make a list of the following questions and, of course, revise them depending on who you’re talking to:

• How long have you been practicing ferret medicine? How many ferrets do you encounter in a typical day or week?
• Does your facility stock vaccinations for ferrets, such as the USDA-approved rabies vaccine?
• Is your facility capable of properly housing ferrets that may need to be hospitalized? Can you handle overnight stays? Emergencies?
• What are your fees for routine care, such as checkups and vaccinations?
• Do you perform routine surgeries (such as spaying and neutering) on ferrets? Do you have experience with the more difficult surgeries, such as splenectomies, adrenal surgery, or other tumor removals?
• Can you handle and treat common diseases of the ferret?
• How do you stay up to date on the latest developments in ferret medicine and surgical techniques? What continuing education do you participate in?

Don’t forget to be kind and courteous during the questioning, and always remember to thank the vet when you’re through! The answers the vet and his staff give, and the general tone with which they give them, should give you a sense of whether this office is ferret-friendly. Do you feel comfortable with this doctor? If you don’t, chances are your ferret won’t either.

Going for a visit

After you talk to a vet who seems qualified and meets your criteria, pay the doctor a visit. You want to see if this doctor is all he appeared to be on the phone or as described by other clients. First appearances usually are a good indication of how the vet runs his practice:

• Are the office and treatment areas clean? Do they smell clean?
• Were you greeted in a friendly manner by the staff?
• Are the exam tables sanitized after each use?
• Do technicians and vets wash their hands after handling animals?

If you already have your fuzzy, you can assume that she’s probably due for a checkup. Now’s a great time to see the potential vet in action with your furball:

• Does the vet talk to your ferret in a calming way?
• Does he handle your ferret with care and show genuine concern for both you and your pet?

Remember

It’s very important that your new veterinarian listen to and acknowledge your concerns. You’re the ferret’s caregiver. If you’ve had her for some time, you know what’s normal for your ferret. A vet who doesn’t listen to you and learn from you may be too presumptuous to give your ferret the care that she needs — especially in emergency situations.

• Does he explain what’s being done in a concise and clear manner?
• Does he answer your questions in an understandable fashion?
• Does he seem rushed and preoccupied with other goings-on in the clinic, or is he focused on your pet?

Have you found a knowledgeable and caring vet who works in a clean, efficient, and friendly office? Congrats! If not, keep searching until you find a vet who meets all your requirements.

Tip

A good vet will have a network of other professionals he can rely on for support with difficult or unfamiliar cases. The willingness to reach out for help and to learn from others is a positive trait and one that should be looked for in a vet as well.

Developing a good working relationship

It’s important that you maintain a comfortable and efficient working relationship with your vet built on trust and respect. Your veterinarian, like you, should have your pet’s well-being at the top of his priority list. No one knows your pet like you do, and your vet will count on you to tell him when your ferret isn’t quite herself. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve brought in an animal that looked fine but that had a “look” about her that told me she wasn’t quite right. In those cases, routine tests always revealed ailments. Your second sense is what can link you and your veterinarian in your quest to keep fuzzy healthy.

Here are some things you can do to develop a working relationship with your vet and make your interactions friendlier and more efficient:

• Keep accurate records. Take the guesswork out of communicating with your vet. Write down how your ferret is acting when you think she’s sick. Record what supportive care you’ve provided and how she’s responded. List any medications and dosages you’ve administered and record any improvements or setbacks that you observe. And with all these observations, make sure you include times in hours and minutes.
• Know your animal. If you can’t bring your pet in to the office yourself, make sure you give the person who can your fuzzy’s basic information. Vets get frustrated when people can’t answer basic questions about the animals they bring in. Create a basic information card for your ferret that explains how you feed and house her, how you handle her, how she normally acts, what her issues are, and so on. Best-case scenario: Bring in your fuzzy yourself.
• Do what the vet tells you to do. Give medications on time and at the correct dosages, and give them for as long as you’re supposed to. Just as important, follow through with phone calls to the vet to give him progress reports.
• Ask questions. Your vet’s job is to not only treat your ferret, but also to answer your questions. Write down any questions you have before you get there and be ready to take notes when the vet is talking to you. Never feel foolish for asking questions!
• Stay educated, but don’t be demanding. You can do research on current health issues and be willing to learn what you can about your ferret’s health. It’s great to learn these things, but don’t force what you learn on your vet, for multiple reasons:
• Your vet may already know the information.
• It shows a lack of trust and respect for your vet.
• Your vet will find it hard to work with a demanding know-it-all.

Instead, work as a team and offer up what you’ve learned. Seek your vet’s professional opinion by asking how what you’ve learned can fit into your pet’s diagnosis or treatment plan.

• Be honest. Relationships are built on honesty and trust. Here are some specific situations when truth will keep your relationship with your vet strong:
• A vet doesn’t want to hear “She was fine this morning” while looking at an animal that’s obviously been in distress for days. Your vet depends on you to tell him everything that’s going on. Your honesty may mean the difference between an accurate diagnosis and a misdiagnosis.
• Be upfront from the start about your financial situation. Don’t make your vet guess what you can and can’t afford to do for your pet. The cost of care is a sensitive area for both sides, so just be honest.
• Tell the truth about how you’ve followed through on treatment plans. If you didn’t do what the vet told you to do, tell him so he doesn’t assume that his plan doesn’t work.
• Respect boundaries. Never have another vet call yours to provide help without your vet’s prior knowledge and permission. It not only catches your vet off guard, but also shows a lack of trust in and respect for him.
• Report problems you have at the vet’s office. If you should have a problem at a veterinary practice for any reason, report it to the proper staff member immediately. Voice your concerns respectfully and calmly, and be prepared to reach some sort of solution. Leaving the office angry or upset doesn’t satisfy anyone or leave room for improvement. Vets want to clear up problems in their offices and prevent them from happening in the future.
• Leave your personal issues at home. The vet’s exam room or waiting room is no place to start arguing over whether your pet’s treatment is worth X amount of dollars. Nor is it the place to announce to your spouse that you want a divorce. Come alone or agree ahead of time to table any heated topics you want to discuss.

The bottom line: Keeping the lines of communication open will help your vet give your ferret the best care he possibly can.

Putting Your Vet to Work with Vaccinations and Checkups

I’m one of those people who thinks that no matter where or when you get a new pet, you should make a visit to the vet within a day or two of her home-coming and continue with regular checkups from that point on. If you take your fuzzy in for a checkup every year (every six months for ferrets 3 years and older), your vet will be able to rule out any illnesses and vaccinate your ferret if she’s due. I’m an advocate of regular vaccinations for pets. Vaccinations for ferrets keep your fuzzy safe from disease. Without them, ferrets are highly susceptible to canine distemper. They may also contract the rabies virus.

This section covers ferret checkups and vaccinations. You find out what your vet does for your kit (baby ferret) or for your grown-up fuzzy, and I let you know how to watch for warning signals that your fuzzy is having an allergic reaction to a vaccine or other medicine.

Remember

I can’t advise you one way or another when it comes to vaccinating your pet. The only person who can help you make vaccination decisions is your veterinarian. He should know how your fuzzy tolerated vaccinations in the past and how she’ll likely tolerate them in the future. Discuss the pros and cons of vaccinating your ferret with your vet. Together, based on your fuzzy’s history and future concerns, you can come up with a workable plan to keep your ferret safe.

Kits — the office visit

Baby ferrets (kits) receive some protective antibodies from their mothers, but these eventually start to wear away in stages as the kits age. Therefore, you must vaccinate your kit to counteract this gradual loss of protection. When you get your fuzzy, schedule an appointment to get her shots. Most farm-raised babies receive their first ferret-approved, modified live canine distemper shots at 4 to 6 weeks old. Private breeders usually give the first shots at 6 to 8 weeks.

Warning!

Confer with your vet and avoid using a distemper vaccine that has anything other than canine distemper vaccine in it — canine hepatitis, leptospirosis, parainfluenza, and so on, for instance. Ferrets shouldn’t get vaccinated for these diseases. The USDA ferret-approved vaccine is strictly canine distemper.

Distemper vaccine

Depending on your veterinarian, your ferret kit may be vaccinated for canine distemper — depending on its age at the time of the visit — according to different vaccine protocols (see Chapter Handling Viruses, Infections, and Other Conditions and Illnesses for more on canine distemper):

• One vet may want to vaccinate for canine distemper at 8, 11, and 14 weeks of age.
• Other vets prefer to vaccinate at 8, 12, and 16 weeks of age.
• Ferrets over 16 weeks of age with unknown or no vaccination history only need two distemper shots, given three to four weeks apart. At this age, the ferrets receive the same protection as the kits that receive the full series of distemper vaccinations.

Warning!

Although uncommon, some ferrets have allergic reactions to the distemper booster (see the later section “Recognizing allergic reactions” for the signs). The allergic reaction may happen only once, or it may happen repeatedly. Some reactions can be life-threatening. If your ferret has a history of allergic reactions, your vet may pretreat her with an antihistamine to offset any reaction. If your ferret has a history of severe, life-threatening allergic reactions to the distemper vaccine, and she’s strictly an indoor pet with no contact with strange ferrets, you may want to consider skipping the distemper vaccine.

Rabies vaccine

The USDA ferret-approved rabies vaccine is a killed vaccine and is labeled for use after the age of 12 weeks. Some vets wait until the ferret is 14 to 18 weeks old, just in case the fuzzy’s birthday got recorded incorrectly somewhere along the way. The rabies vaccine will prevent your ferret from contracting rabies if she becomes exposed. Additionally, the proof of rabies vaccination likely will keep her out of boiling water should she bite or scratch someone (see Chapter Ferrets and the Law: Licensing and Other Issues). Without this proof, she may be quarantined or possibly lose her life. For this reason, you can’t skip the rabies booster for any reason.

Remember

The timing of the rabies shot can be an issue for you, your vet, and your ferret. Many experts believe that a ferret should receive the rabies and distemper shots at least two weeks apart to prevent any potential allergic reactions. Keep that suggestion in mind when scheduling your ferret’s vaccinations.

Overall kit checkup

In addition to the vaccines, your vet should set up an appointment to perform an overall checkup. The checkup should include testing your kit for internal parasites. To complete the tests, the vet requires a poop sample on your first visit. This sample also gives your vet an idea of how your ferret’s digestive tract is performing.

An overall checkup should, at the very least, include these other elements as well:

• Weighing your fuzzy
• Listening to her heart and lungs
• Feeling her abdomen
• Checking her skin for external parasites and any abnormalities
• Checking her eyes, ears, and teeth

Adolescents and adults — the office visit

If you adopt an adult fuzzy, you don’t need to make four or five trips to the vet like you would with a kit, but you do need to make at least two. Your ferret should receive a canine distemper shot along with her initial physical exam (see the previous section for explanations of these processes).

You should bring your ferret back about three weeks later for a second distemper shot as well as a rabies shot (assuming she’s older than 3 months). Often, a vet will have you come in a third time for the rabies shot instead of giving it along with the final distemper shot to minimize the chance of a bad reaction. You can discuss this important option with your vet and come to a decision.

Tip

If you adopt an adult ferret with a questionable background, vaccinate her just in case. Better safe than sorry!

Checkups for adult ferrets are a little more complicated. In addition to performing annual exams like a ferret kit would receive, your vet should do some extra palpating (touchy-feely stuff) to rule out enlarged organs (particularly the spleen) or suspicious lumps. Middle-aged ferrets, or those 3 years and older, are at an increased risk for disease and should have routine exams every six months. Disease can spread rapidly, so early detection and intervention are imperative. It’s also recommended that your vet test blood glucose every six months, so speak to him about this. Other blood testing and X-rays for heart disease and so on can be done on a yearly basis.

Tip

Don’t forget to bring a morsel of poop to your fuzzy’s physical exam; you’ll make your vet’s day, and he’ll be able to rule out parasites.

Remember

During your initial appointments with the vet, broach the topic of the dreaded heartworm disease. If you’re a responsible dog owner, you should already know about it. Just like dogs and cats, ferrets are susceptible to heartworm, a mosquito-delivered disease. Even if you don’t take your ferret outside, she isn’t bulletproof, because mosquitoes can get into your house. For more information on heartworm — including recognizing its symptoms and treating it — head to Chapter Handling Viruses, Infections, and Other Conditions and Illnesses.

Recognizing allergic reactions

Ferrets can have a reaction to the vaccinations given by veterinarians. This allergic reaction, called anaphylaxis, almost always occurs within 30 minutes of the vaccination injection, but it can occur up to 24 hours later. Anaphylaxis isn’t very common; it can present itself as either a slight reaction or, at worst, a life-threatening condition.

The first 24 hours after the vaccination is the most crucial period; after that, your fuzzy should be in the clear. You need to remain vigilant during the initial period as you watch for signs of a bad reaction. Here are the signs of anaphylaxis:

• Swelling around the eyes or nose

A tiny lump where the needle went in isn’t a reaction; a tiny lump is very common.

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea (may be bloody)
• Seizures
• Lethargy

Usually, another sign should accompany the lethargy because a trip to the vet can be exhausting for your fuzzy.

• Pale mucous membranes (the tissue around the eyes or the gums)

Remember

A ferret that exhibits signs of anaphylaxis may not have a reaction to every single shot. Likewise, just because your ferret hasn’t shown signs of anaphylaxis before doesn’t mean that she never will.

Tip

I recommend that you wait around the clinic during the immediate waiting period (the first 30 minutes after the vaccine) just to be safe. It’s important to immediately treat a fuzzy that’s suffering from anaphylaxis. If you’re already home when you notice the signs, pack right up and head back to the vet. On the way, keep your ferret warm (she may be experiencing the beginning signs of shock).

To treat anaphylaxis, your vet will most likely give your fuzzy an injection (yes, another one!) of an antihistamine and/or cortisone. Some vets also administer fluids. (Note: Some vets like to pretreat a ferret with a history of vaccination allergy with this medicine just to be on the safe side.) This course of action treats the allergic reaction and heads off the shock, which can be deadlier to your ferret than the allergic reaction itself.

Stocking Your Ferret First-Aid Kit

Perhaps you’ve already equipped your household with a first-aid kit for human use. A lot of what you put in your own first-aid kit also is useful for treating ferrets, but I recommend that you put together a first-aid kit strictly for your little fuzzy.

Warning!

Always consult your vet before including (and using) any over-the-counter products, medications, or supplements in your fuzzy first-aid kit. Using some common items to treat your ferret may actually aggravate certain illnesses or diseases. Also, you need to get the proper dosage amounts from your vet for treatments. It’s easy to overdose a ferret on medication.

Every ferret first-aid kit should include the following items (Note: If you use something from the kit, be sure to replace it as soon as possible):

• Emergency phone numbers:
• Your veterinarian’s number
• The number to a 24-hour emergency clinic
• The number for the National Animal Poison Control Center

To reach the National Animal Poison Control Center, you can call 888-426-4435. This service costs $55 per case — credit cards only.

• Health records (include the following for each of your ferrets):
• General health records with a corresponding identification photo of the ferret
• Rabies certificates
• A list of prescription medications your ferret is currently taking  Foodstuffs:
• Jars of meat baby food — chicken or lamb (for the sick kid)
• Light Karo syrup or Nutri-Cal (for a quick calorie boost)
• Pedialyte or Gatorade (to rehydrate a dehydrated ferret)
• A can of prescription feline A/D, which you can get from your vet (easily digested food for the sicky)
• Oxbow Carnivore Care (an excellent, complete supplement)
• Canola or olive oil (may help to move bad stuff through)
• Royal Canin canned diet (for sick ferrets needing good nutrition)
• Feline hairball laxative or preventive

Tip

All ferret owners should know about Carnivore Care, which is available from Oxbow Pet Products. This highly palatable nutritional supplement is made with easily digestible protein that’s suitable for carnivores such as ferrets. The supplement offers complete nutrition to ferrets with reduced appetites. For more information on this product, head to the Web site www.oxbowhay.com; you can call 800-249-0366 to order it (you can’t order online). You must provide your veterinarian’s information when ordering this product (see Chapter Filling Your Ferret’s Belly for more on diet).

I’ve listed many different meat sources for your first-aid kit, but you don’t have to stock them all. You can stock one or stock all. It’s a personal preference. You may want to start off by including them all in case you get a sick ferret that turns out to be a picky eater. But if you decide to stick with one, Carnivore Care is my first choice.

• Cleaning solutions:
• Betadine solution (for cleaning cuts)
• Nolvasan (for cleaning cuts)

You can sometimes find this as an ear cleaner.

• Ear cleanser (for routine grooming)
• Eye wash/rinse (for flushing foreign bodies)
• Sterile saline solution (for flushing wounds)
• Bandages and wraps:
• Gauze pads
• Gauze wrap
• Washcloths
• Vet wrap (self-sticking variety — you can find this in drug stores in the bandage section)
• Adhesive bandage tape (cloth tape works the best)
• Other health aids:
• Styptic powder or beeswax (for bleeding nails)
• Antibiotic ointment (for soothing and protecting cuts and scrapes; Neosporin works well)
• Petroleum jelly (to help move a blockage and for lubricating a thermometer)
• Kaopectate or Pepto-Bismol (for diarrhea and soothing the tummy)
• Ferretone/Linatone (for mixing with medicine that tastes like you-know-what)
• Pediatric Liquid Benadryl (for counteracting allergic reactions; see the section “Recognizing allergic reactions”)

Warning!

Tylenol (acetaminophen) is extremely toxic to ferrets even in very low doses. The liver metabolizes the medicine, and it will send your ferret into liver failure quickly, eventually killing your fuzzy. Many over-the-counter medicines contain acetaminophen. Therefore, don’t use any over-the-counter products without your vet’s guidance and approval. You can prevent these types of fatal mistakes.

Technical Stuff

Bene-Bac is one of the most widely recommended items when it comes to ferret first-aid kits, because it’s designed to replace beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract after illness or diarrhea. What you may not know, however, is that it doesn’t work for obligate carnivores, such as ferrets. The bacteria contained in Bene-Bac is made for omnivores and some herbivores. Using Bene-Bac won’t hurt your ferret, but it won’t help, either; it only helps you feel better!

• Miscellaneous items:
• Heating pad (to help maintain a young or sick ferret’s body temperature)
• Chemical heating pack (portable heat for the young or sick ferret)
• Nail clippers
• Eye droppers
• Tweezers (to remove foreign bodies)
• Cotton balls and cotton swabs
• Ice pack (to reduce swelling or slow down bleeding)
• Rubber or latex gloves
• Scissors
• Pen light (to help you see wounds and foreign bodies)
• Pill crusher
• Rectal thermometer

The normal temperature for a ferret is about 102° Fahrenheit.

• Tongue depressors or popsicle sticks (for immobilizing injured limbs)
• Baby wipes (for general cleanup duties)

Tip

I also suggest that, whenever possible, you bring your first-aid kit to your ferret, as opposed to bringing your injured ferret to the first-aid kit. Make this easier by storing your first-aid supplies in a convenient and portable case. Fishing-tackle boxes and professional make-up boxes work great. You can also do a lot with Tupperware! Get one large bin and keep your supplies organized and labeled in smaller containers within that bin. Keep your first-aid case in a convenient and easy-to-reach location.

Ensuring Emergency Preparedness

Whether you’ve lived through them or have only heard about them, you know that real pet emergencies take place all the time. It seems like you hear more and more about disasters striking, leaving families and their pets with few options and nowhere to go. Disasters come in all shapes and sizes: floods, earthquakes, fires, hurricanes, tornadoes, and more.

Have you prepared your family and fuzzies to escape an emergency? Are you prepared to care for your pets during an emergency? Preparing for the collection and evacuation of your ferrets takes time, thought, and practice. Using the information in the following sections, you can take action and come up with a plan that best suits your situation.

The basic (quick) evacuation kit

The basic evacuation kit is for an emergency that allows for a small window of time to evacuate. Your only pet-related goal during a serious emergency is to get your ferret out quickly and safely. That’s it. Anything else is just icing on the cake — and potentially dangerous icing at that.

The basic evacuation kit I suggest you put together is based on that one goal, making it quite simple. Here’s what you need in this kit:

• A flashlight (in case the lights go out)
• A fabric bag (a thick pillowcase or something stronger to actually hold your ferrets in)
• A strong piece of rope (to tie the bag of ferrets shut; it should be about 2 feet)
• A small fire extinguisher (to put out any small fires you encounter)
• A police whistle, which you can purchase at an Army surplus store, or something equally loud and piercing (to call your ferrets)

The kit may seem too simple, but the purpose is to remain safe and get out fast. With this in mind, make sure you store the kit in a handy container and locate it in a convenient place.

Remember

Most ferret owners have more than one ferret. Actually, many have an abundance of ferrets! For every four ferrets you have, you need to pack one fabric bag and one piece of rope. In a true get-out-fast-or-else emergency, one bag may do fine for up to six or seven ferrets, but the strength of the bag may decrease with each ferret you put inside.

Collecting and evacuating your fuzzy

The number-one rule in an emergency is to stay calm, because you know your ferret won’t. When an emergency strikes, pick up your ferret and toss her in a sack. When you’re done with the sack, tie it off securely with the rope. When your ferret is safe and secure, leave the house. You’ve done your job.

If you have more than one fuzzy, an emergency situation is no time to worry about who gets along with whom. Pick up your ferrets and toss them in the sack. After you tie it off securely with the rope, get the heck out of there.

Warning!

I’m in no way advocating that you should put your own life at risk to save the life of your pet. Trained professionals will come to the scene of an emergency to help you and your pet in times of crisis. Losing a pet is heartbreaking, but losing your life while trying to save a pet is catastrophic for many.

The deluxe (and orderly) evacuation kit

The basic evacuation kit is for a serious emergency that calls for quick action. The deluxe evacuation kit, on the other hand, is for an emergency that you know is coming, but that you have time to plan for. For example, a forest fire that’s slowly making its way toward your home. Or a hurricane that’s predicted to hit land in the next 24 hours. These are tragedies that you can prepare for with a little window of time. The deluxe kit is designed to be picked up and put in a car, taking up as little space as possible. Like the ferret first-aid kit and the basic evacuation kit (see earlier sections in this chapter), you should keep the deluxe kit in an area that’s easily accessible and in a case that’s ready to go.

In addition to the materials I mention for the basic kit, the deluxe kit should contain the following items; it may seem like a lot, but after you gather it up, you’ll be done, and hopefully you’ll never have to use the kit:

• Foodstuffs:
• Jars of chicken baby food
• At least a week’s supply of your ferret’s food, kept in a re-sealable container (swap out for fresh food regularly, if possible)
• Bottled water
• Pedialyte
• A basic first-aid kit:
• Betadine/iodine solution
• Gauze pads/wrap
• Adhesive tape
• Antibiotic cream/ointment
• Ferretone
• Heating pad or chemical heat packs
• Tweezers
• Cotton swabs
• Scissors
• Latex gloves
• Popsicle sticks
• Baby wipes
• Sanitizing gel
• Eye dropper
• A week’s supply of medication (if necessary)
• Restraint and identification:
• Leash and harness with ID tag for each ferret
• Carrier or cage large enough for your ferret to move around in
• Copy of medical and up-to-date vaccination records
• Adoption/registration papers or other proof of ownership (including microchip number)
• Ferret identification card, which includes a recent photo, a written physical description (including tattoos and medical conditions), and a behavioral description
• An ID card with your name, address, phone number(s), and veterinarian’s phone number
• Pre-planned emergency contact lists (veterinarians, family, and friends)
• Leather gloves (in case your ferret gets overly excited or scared and acts out in aggression)
• Miscellaneous items:
• Bedding (hammock, snooze sack)
• Hanging water bottle
• Non-tippable bowls
• Spoons
• Small garbage bags
• Dish soap
• Disposable litter tray
• Paper towels

by Kim Schilling