Many ferret owners choose to seek assistance from veterinarians over the Internet. While assistance over the Internet may be timely and helpful, it should never be used as a substitute for a trip to a veterinarian. In many cases, medical care cannot wait for a veterinarian to return email on the Internet. Supportive care rendered at this time, even by veterinarians who have little practical experience with ferrets, may be life-saving.
Each day, I receive over a dozen emails and phone calls from owners and veterinarians concerning sick ferrets. While I attempt to return as many of these contacts as possible, my duties as chairman of the AFIP Department of Telemedicine , my responsibilities as a husband and father, and my obligations to my clients often do not allow me time to return them all. Like most veterinarians who assist owners via email, I prioritize my responses as to those whose need is the most urgent.
Here are some tips for owners seeking advice on the Internet:
1. Online assistance is only as good as the information that you
can provide. Any objective data available from your veterinarian
will help especially blood test results and the names of prescribed medications
(not some "pink medicine").
2. Be concise. veterinarians who choose to answer online questions
often do not have time to wade through long, rambling emails. Stick
to the question at hand.
3. A picture is worth a thousand words really. If you have
access to a digital camera, or scanner, take a picture of the lesion in
question, or the pattern of hairloss. (Take a look at this consultation
request I received last September this is a perfect example).
4. Don't ask for a consultant to call your vet. Nothing upsets
a vet more than to receive a "cold call" from another vet offering unsolicited
advice. (If your vet wants to call me, that's fine. I've learned
the hard way from owners who said "my vet knows you're calling."
I don't fall for that one any more - no exceptions.)
5. Provide phone numbers where you may be contacted. (I personally
do not charge for my consultation; however, I also do not think it reasonable
to have to pay long-distance fees to consult with owners or their vets.
If you think that I may want to contact you by phone, please provide a
phone number which will accept a long-distance charge, or an alternate
form of charge. (If the call is refused by someone at the number,
or the phone does not accept a collect call, I will not be calling back.)
If there is no answer, I will try to call again, or at least return
email with a phone number where I can be reached.)
6. If you are looking for a ferret-savvy veterinarian in your
area, try here - the STAR Database. This database, compiled by Pam
Troutman of Shelters That Adopt and Rescue Ferrets (STAR*Ferrets), is an
excellent listing of veterinarians
in many states who treat ferrets. If you don't find one there, check
the associated listing of U. S. clubs, shelters, and contacts for a contact
near you who can help you find a good vet.
As a veterinarian who routinely answers owner questions on the Internet, here are a few of my pet peeves:
1. Owners who ask for a "home remedy" as they "don't have any money
to go to a vet". If you can't afford medical care for a pet, then
you shouldn't have one - it's as simple as that. By having a pet,
you take responsibility for its well-being, and sometimes, it's expensive.
I don't deal in home remedies, only legitimate veterinary care -
and I often refer contacts to local vet after reading your pet’s
symptoms.
2. Obvious ploys to save money over what your vet has told you. A lot of people believe the vet but want a "cheaper way". I've become fairly proficient
at reading the intent between the lines.
3. People who ask for information on other people's pets. Ethics
prevents me from discussing cases with anyone other than the owner or veterinarian
involved; this was a hard lesson learned several times. Don’t ask.
4. Politics - whether it is between competing ferret organizations
or individuals, or individuals versus large ferret breeding facilities
- I am not interested.
About me:
For the last ten years, I have been advising ferret owners on ferret
illness. I have been practicing veterinary medicine since 1985. I
am board-certified in veterinary pathology, and in addition to my work
at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology, I have a private consulting
firm, AccuPath. Since 1989, I have reviewed over 6000 ferret cases.
I have lectured on ferret diseases and medicine at numerous national and
international veterinary conferences, and have written numerous papers
and book chapters on ferret diseases. My curriculum
vitae is available here.