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Second in a series Avoiding the perils of female ferret fertility is simple nowadays; nearly all young jills are spayed prior to sale. Back in the day, they were adopted “intact”. We strongly advised spaying but not everybody listened. Our desperate attempts to save severely anemic never-bred girl ferrets often led to heartbreak. Miss Ellie’s people, Sue and Davie, knew this and wanted only the best for their chaste pet. I explained our anesthesia, surgery, and recovery protocols. I promised to call them as soon as their slinky snuggler was awake. She’d be ready to go home at 5:30 that day. Ferret anesthesia in the early ‘90s was initiated with oxygen mixed with halothane gas piped into a modified fish tank. We carefully watched Miss Ellie slip into unconsciousness. When her breathing was slow and steady I lifted her onto the prep table. Under a bright light my excellent veterinary…

First in a series My general veterinary practice was busy. That might sound like a good problem but despite meticulous preparation I was seldom caught up. There seemed to be more going on with every pet I saw than what it came in for. My patiently waiting clients knew I’d spend all the time necessary to help their dog or cat. Or ferret. Ferrets, lumped into the pocket pet category, are more popular than you may realize. They can be a bit odiferous but they have playful, engaging personalities. They spend little time in pockets but they generally do well as indoor pets. And, fortunately for all involved, they don’t seem mind bathing. Midway through this particular over-scheduled Monday there was a new client, Sue and Davie Davenport with their ferret Miss Ellie. As I hustled in to the exam room I looked up – way up – at 6’…