Vets than handle ferrets?

NakedIrish

Hey Guys,

I'm considering adopting two ferrets from Ferrets Ireland however I am having difficulty locating a veterinary clinic that will look after ferrets that is in any way close to me...

Can anyone advise of a reputable vet that is in around the Tallaght area? I've already checked with the Animal Hospital in Tallaght and the closest they can advise of is in Bray.

Thanks!

The main vet for Ferretts is Bairbre O'Malley and she is out in bray. She is known to be expensive though, but she knows them inside out. The animal clinic is not too bad either.

It all depends what your looking for.

NakedIrish

I'm just looking for someone who can do their yearly checkups and in the event of something happening to them, perform or arrange surgery as required (impaction, GI tract etc...)

They are not working ferrets so they will mostly be kept indoors and so on.

Edit:
Forgot to mention, Barbra is the vet that the Animal Hospital recommended too.

seamus

Give the Vet clinic at the DSPCA a buzz. They see a lot of odd animals up there. Note that this isn't the actual rescue's vet, but a private clinic on the grounds.

First of all they make great pets, you wont regret it. Regards to operations etc, i would still say bray is your only bet. I would suggest going to your local vet and ask ?

Animal Clinic in the phoenix park . They have done ferrets in the past.

Lexie_Karas

I have to agree that Bairbre is brilliant with ferrets and well worth the cost and trip if anything beyond the basics is required.

I'm going to slightly hi-jack the thread a little if you don't mind OP? Does anyone have any recommendations of ferrety vets in or around the Swords area? There's a good chance I'll be moving from Drogheda to there next month and I'm very sorry to be moving from my local vet who is very interested in ferrets and has been great with ours the last 5 years.

Edited to add: NakedIrish - what or where is Ferret Ireland? I'm intriqued that I haven't heard of it before!

NakedIrish

No problem at all Lexie, the way I figure is if I had to ask the question; there are surely others looking for the same information!

With regards to my original post, I'm afraid I got the name wrong, its actually Irish Ferrets that the people go by... at the moment is seems to be a person (people?) on Facebook who try to promote Ferrets in Ireland and work as a rescue center for them. Linky -> https://www.facebook.com/IrishFerrets

At the moment I haven't committed to anything or anyone in terms of adopting, I have read extensively on the subject and picked up a well recommended book; I just want to make sure that I have all of the ground work done and am as prepared as I could be to look after them.

Thanks

dodderangler

Adopting ferrets can be tricky as usually they are left in shelters for being a bit too nippy
I have two of them one is 2 and other is 14 months and they are great pets real friendly and never bite and good hunters aswell
As for a vet barbra is good but expensive
You will find there are vets out that will do it and mostly the one that are in the countryside will do it

ferretone

I kept ferrets for 9 years, and living in the midlands, only finally got recommended to Bairbre O'Malley in Bray in the last year of their life. The one guy, Lintel, got adrenal disease, and Bairbre gave him a suprelorin implant, which totally seemed to rejuvenate him for a good few months.

Sadly in the meantime his sister, Soffet, developed lymphoma, but even then the minimally invasive treatments she gave her (just pred, zantac, and a bit of furosemide as and when needed), gave her five good, fun months that we were so grateful for. During those months it became clear that Lintel's AD had been hiding an additional cardiomyopathy, which she also treated effectively to give him a few happy, fun months, but which sadly lasted only 1 month more than his sister.

I lost her at the beginning of December, and him just after new year.

And I did feel in both cases that if I had known about Bairbre back when they were young, and taken them to her a couple times a year, things coulda been different. Ok, much more so with Lintel than Soffet, they are all very prone to lymphoma, and not much can be done to change that, but for example she recommends the suprelorin implant for middle-aged ferrets, which not only would protect against the adrenal disease, but also the cardiomyopathy he got as a result, and the insulinoma that is so often associated with it as well.

Take note, I live in Co. Leitrim, much more remote from Bairbre than the OP. Yet I would really recommend someone wanting to keep ferrets to become a patient of hers, and pay a visit a couple times a year. If I were doing it again I would, despite the distance.

ferretone

Oh, just looked on the Irishferrets site, and if you're thinking of adopting Bailey and Jackson, I would recommend them completely as starter ferrets! I started with the babas first time, which is really going in the deep end, you are both learning, which isn't ideal really. I subsequently rehabilitated a good few maltreated ones that I rehomed on very happily. But the few sweeties up for rehoming were what I would wish on somebody starting out, including myself, if I could go back!

OP, if Irishferrets will let you have them, I couldn't recommend going this route highly enough. It's always better in a starter situation if one party is ready to educate the other, and that would be the case with these ferrets! Plus, the rescue would give you guidance if you met with problems anyway, and also take them back if it didn't work out.

Lexie_Karas

So sorry to hear about your ferrets ferretone. Lymphoma is horrible, I lost one to that a few years back... funnily enough he had lost his own brother only the month before and just went down hill after that

I was lucky with my local vet, she had a fair amount of knowledge about ferrets and was quite willing to learn more once we were on her books. If there was anything she wasn't quite sure of she'd ring Bairbre about it for advice and would refer us out to Bray if she needed anything done she wasn't comfortable with herself. We only had to go out to Bairbre once in person but she must have gotten dozens of calls from our vet over the years.

Ferretone, what age does she suggest to start getting the implants for ferrets? I've been considering getting my lot implanted as a precaution but not sure when to go about it. Once we get ourselves settled in Dublin I'll probably bring our current three out to her for a once over, especially seeing as how I'll be finding a new local vet. I'd like them to start of with a clean bill of health.

dodderangler

I lost a crackin pair of polecats this year
The hob was outstanding for huntin the female just as good and when she got pregnant I put her away and just kept the buck for hunting
He went down a hole and I had to dig him out found him eatin a rabbit that was dead bout a week and 2 weeks later he died vet said it was distemper which I knew he had from the way he walked and stood up he kept fallin on his side aswell
Then the Jill had her kits and unfortunately she killed the kits as some ferrets do and week later she picked up distemper aswell and I lost her two days later from discovering she had it
Now I have two ferrets a 14 week old buck and two year old Jill and they are excellent and both have their jabs aswell so won't be gettin sick

Lexie_Karas

Sorry to hear about your hob and jill, dodderangler, it's horrible to see them sick and not be able to help Glad that your remaining ferrets are jabbed. It goes to show that there really is good reason to get ferrets vaccinated. I know it's a matter of choice and some people don't think it's needed but when you hear about the dreadful outbreak in the UK of distemper in ferrets it goes to show that there is just cause.

NakedIrish

Thanks for the info guys, it's much appreciated. My regards to Ferretone and dodderangler on your losses, it's always a shame to loose a family member.

Unfortunately some small circumstances have changed here in relation to their housing, that _MIGHT_ impact my adoption... I wouldn't like to adopt if I cannot care for them correctly so I have informed their current carer and Ferrets Ireland of the changes and I'll let them decide if I would still be a suitable candidate for adoption at this time.

I know personally, I would love to have them, but not if it is going to be at the cost of their health or well being.

Thanks again!

ferretone

Sorry to hear things may be changing for you in a way that makes it difficult. To be honest, reading this would make me more likely to home a fuzzy to you in the future, when things are right again, nearly than anything you coulda said, if I were in the position of deciding!

You're clearly a more responsible ferret carer than most I've come across. I really hope your change in circumstances isn't so serious as to rule you out at this time, but if it is, that you find your dream fuzzies as soon as it's sorted! Take care, and all the best of luck with future fuzzy partnership

ferretone

Oh, sorry Lexie_Karas, not sure what age Bairbre recommends doing the suprelorin implant, think it might be 2 or something. But personally I wouldn't do it that early tbh. I'd go maybe 5 or so.

It's not actually licensed in the states yet, but I have a few friends over there whose vets are going under the radar, and they warn of the odd case of it triggering insulinoma. Now I wouldn't get all het up about that, as AD has a serious predisposition for insulinoma anyway, but maybe take the middle road for the implant, as I say, about 5.

It lasts about 18 months on average, so you'd be doing 2 extra if you went the very early route, which seems excessive to me. My boy was neutered much earlier than I woulda done, knowing what I do now, so I really feel starting the implant at 5, or even 6 would be quite adequate. More than adequate maybe, if you didn't neuter til a year or so.

Obviously do discuss it with her though. She is a very reasonable person, and will take everything you say on board

childsplay

My boyfriend and I have 4 pet ferrets and they are just little bundles of fun. They are so friendly and want to have your attention at all costs. This can lead to chaos at times but it is oh so worth it! The boyfriend has built a three story hutch with ladders, tunnels, hammocks and toys. The animals get exercise zipping about in it. The ground space it occupies is I'd say 2ft x 6ft. We also have them out everyday for running about in the garden and we have leads for them also.

They are relatively cheap to feed also. We feed dry cat food at 5 euros a bag. We feed offal and meat maybe once a week also. The ferrets are in supreme condition. We bed them with shavings at 7.50 for a huge bag.

We had a vasectomised albino hob who serviced the gills and put them out of season. Unfortunately, Billy escaped the hutch and was killed on the road a good distance away from where we live which amazed me. He was a gentle giant and we miss him a lot.

We have two other hobs. A young silver who is looking like a superstar already and a polecat who has just fathered 5 lovely kits. We will probably snip the polecat, Hector and have him as our resident servicer;).

Our jills are so affectionate and lovely. Poppy is a polecat and Jessie is an albino. She has just had a mixed litter of kits. They are just 6 weeks now and already looking like stars. (So if anybody is looking for kits in the midlands, we'll have them to go in about 3-4 weeks).

All our ferrets are well handled and used to humans. They have rarely nipped us but when they have it has usually been our own faults for surprising them etc.

The thing with ferrets is there personalities. Jessie wants to be going all the time, Hector, like his namesake is a nutter and poppy is a real sharp hunter. Our young hob Buster is a joker and will play with you for hours.

We adore them and would say that they are part of the family. Finding a vet to look after them is a challenge but they can be found. Our local vet snipped ours and advised us on their welfare. It's just that vets don't see too many of them as unfortunately so many of them are used and abused by gurriers who have no love or affection for the creatures.

Hope things go well for you and you get the ferrets. You will not regret it.

dodderangler

Above post is spot on with ferrets
They are extremely playfull and great pets
Little but smelly especially when they come into heat
Though one thing I can point out is I have found a huge difference in pet ferrets and hunting ferrets
All of my ferrets are hunting ferrets and find that at times can be bit nippy but only when on hunt at home they are totally different being very playfull and great mannered but in the field it is like the instinct kicks in and they switch on tho I can still put my hand in to take them from a hole they do nip odd time

Lexie_Karas

I'm the opposite to dodderangle in that none of my ferrets hunt, I do know lots of people who who do hunt their ferrets and they say the same - at home they're still just loveable pets

They can be a little smelly but if they're neutured that reduces a hell of a lot. I also use fleecey blankets instead of shavings or straw etc. and just chuck it all in the wash once a week and that, along with keeping their litter trays clean, pretty much cuts out the smell in the house.

Naked Irish, hopefully whatever yours changes in circumstance are don't impact on the adoption. Be sure to let us know how you get on, and feel free to PM me if you need any ferrety advice.

Oh and thanks ferretone, I'd think 2 is a little early to be worrying aswell(fingers crossed I don't live to regret that!). I was thinking of looking into it when they got to about 3/4 years. I'll talk to Bairbre anyway the next time I have them in.

ferretone

Lexie_Karas wrote: »

Oh and thanks ferretone, I'd think 2 is a little early to be worrying aswell(fingers crossed I don't live to regret that!). I was thinking of looking into it when they got to about 3/4 years. I'll talk to Bairbre anyway the next time I have them in.

Now I won't say the very odd one doesn't get it as early as 2, but I defo would say it's nowhere near common enough to indicate a blanket implantation of 2-year-old ferrets. Remember, there is no such thing as a treatment that is free of side-effects.

All of the very-early-onset ferrets I've heard of were Marshall Farms or similar, as in bred in a big farm, where their mums' cycles were manipulated by artificial light, which has serious implications for AD already, potentially inbred, and also neutered too early, which as I said my boy was also, but his still didn't start til he was at least 8.

So, as I said already, certainly to discuss with Bairbre, but I think you are right in your estimation. I think 4 would be the earliest I'd do it, as that would well forestall it happening at 5, but if you feel better doing it at 3, I couldn't fault you there either. Best of luck, whatever you decide.