Kevin Farlee, President, WFRS
It’s an exciting time at the shelter lately. We are moving forward with many efforts that have lain dormant for a long time, as well as trying some new things which we haven’t done before. This newsletter is part of that, as are the revitalization of our website and other areas of social media. Doubtless there will be growing pains, but I’m confident that the end result will be an even better shelter than ever.
 The shelter is only possible because there is a large team pulling together to make it happen. The title “president” may sound impressive, but mostly it means I get to make sure that the bills are paid and deal with all the licenses, permits, and other legal requirements we have. I also run the regular board meetings that make major decisions. There are lots of other people that invest a lot of their personal time and resources to keep the shelter going. Every volunteer and every donor is incredibly important and greatly appreciated. Without all of you, we couldn’t keep it up. Thanks to everyone who pitches in to help, in whatever way you can!
|
WFRS has a sharing program that can direct donations to the shelter just for doing on-line shopping that you may already do!
Visit http://www.igive.com/wfrs, and you can learn how to set up iGive. There is also a link from our website, www.washingtonferret.org. Once you install the iGive application, you can designate Washington Ferret Rescue as your chosen charity. From there, you can enter online stores and proceed to shop. Participating stores like Bed, Bath and Beyond, Ferret.com, Staples, etc. will then donate a percentage of sales to your chosen charity at no cost to you!
Check it out and see how you can make a slight change in how you enter the shopping sites and make a big change for WFRS.
The “Donate” page of the website has information there on how to enter Amazon.com through WFRS so that a percentage of the sale is donated to us. The page has information on other donation programs as well. Every little bit helps a lot!
|
Story submitted by Wiley’s human, Sharron Sherfick
My name is Wiley and for over a year I lived in a truck with my human. We were poor and I had to eat whatever was available, usually Spaghetti-O’s or whatever my human could scrounge from dumpsters. One day, a lady spotted me in the back of our truck and to make a long story short, insisted on taking me home. I was really scared at first because she wasn’t even sure what I was, but a stop at the vet’s solved that. We left with a bag of food, a list of instructions and a borrowed cage. I really missed my human for a while and getting used to new food was tough. I missed Spaghetti-O’s and tipped the kibble bowl over constantly, but hunger and lots of cuddling won me over and in no time I was very happy in my new home.
Not all ferrets can find a forever home like I did and instead have to live their lives out in a shelter. That’s why I’m writing this. Many families can’t adopt one of us but are able to help care for us by becoming a Washington Ferret Rescue and Shelter Sponsor.
A small monthly donation will help defray the cost of medicine and veterinary care, food and litter. I hope you’ll consider opening your hearts and checkbooks to help the volunteers care for the many ferrets who can’t be adopted.
For more information, please contact Sharon at washingtonferret@yahoo.com.
|
Q: Why do ferrets need Rabies and Distemper vaccinations if they are house-bound pets and not exposed to other animals?
A: Distemper is an airborne virus and can hitchhike on owner’s hair and clothing. We know that raccoons in our area have distemper, and if they have frequented a yard, the virus is present. Because it is airborne you have to consider that it can be anywhere. Therefore we continue to vaccinate indoor ferrets. The Rabies vaccination is by State of Washington law – all dogs, cats, and ferrets are required to be vaccinated for rabies. While it is a remote probability that a pet ferret would come in contact with a rabid bat, bats have been known to fly down chimneys and get into homes, requiring all pets to be re-vaccinated and quarantined, and the humans to undergo rabies prophylaxis. If the ferret is not vaccinated, it may have to be euthanized and tested. So comply with state law and have your ferret vaccinated for rabies.
Vaccinations themselves can cause problems for some ferrets — they have an allergic reaction to the vaccine. Your ferret should be pre-treated with an antihistamine, then remain at the clinic for at least 30 minutes after the vaccination to watch for a reaction. If a reaction occurs (flushing, retching, vomiting, bleeding, diarrhea, trouble breathing), it is immediately treated with more antihistamine, then other medications as needed for the symptoms presented. If only the distemper or the rabies was given, it is possible to tell which vaccine caused the reaction. Unfortunately, if both were given it is impossible to know which triggered the reaction. Ferrets that react to one may not react to the other. Their future vaccination protocol must be considered using risk assessment for contact with the disease. It may also be possible to take an antibody titer test for distemper and determine whether the ferret is still protected and may not need a distemper vaccine this year. Vaccine reactions occur less than 10% of the time, so it is still imperative to have your ferret vaccinated.
|
Be sure to check the website for up-to-date events
May 10
10 am - 3 pm
|
Whiskers, Wings, and Wagging Tails: Redmond Pet Fair 2014
Redmond Senior Center (8703 160th Ave NE, Redmond 98052)
For more info, visit redmond.gov or contact Teri Burke at tburke@redmond.gov
|
May 24
11 am - 2 pm
|
Outreach at Kirkland Petco
12040 NE 85th St, Kirkland
|
June 21
11 am - 2 pm
|
Outreach at Kirkland Petco
12040 NE 85th St, Kirkland
|
August 16
11 am
|
Woodinville Parade
For more information, visit the parade website
|
|
October 21
|
Dooktoberfest Ferret Frolics
Kirkland Marina Park
|
|
By Terri Peltz, Volunteer Coordinator
Jayson Rackerby has been with the shelter for five years. He came to us hoping that by volunteering, he could learn more about how to best take care of his own ferrets. He says he learned what he needed and so much more! He gained lots of ideas on how to make ferret care better and easier, plus ideas on things that just make life better. He continues to volunteer because he can. He enjoys it and he has the time, energy and interest in helping these wonderful creatures. Very often when people think about volunteering, they think about rescues for cats and dogs but ferrets are just as much in need.
Jayson currently owns three ferrets and fosters three. He volunteers in addition to his full time job at the Seattle Times.
|
Love at First Sight
Story by Sharron Sherfick
The shelter was closed and a meeting was underway when a couple appeared at the door with a ferret to surrender. Found wandering in an apartment complex, the little male was dehydrated, malnourished and had little left to his fur coat. He was scared but after receiving fluids and “soup” he was ready for a warm blanket and cuddling. I volunteered for the task and as soon as his little face looked up at mine there was no doubt about his future. He was going to Mt. Vernon that evening with me. Never mind that our cage room was full; never mind that I was tending to four very sick ferrets 24/7; never mind that I had promised my husband I wouldn’t bring home another ferret to foster. Did I mention my husband was there when love blindsided me? Poor man didn’t stand a chance!
I set up a pen in our guest room and filled it with toys, blankets, sleeping tent and the requisite food & water bowls and litter box. I thought the pen looked great but this fuzzy had other ideas about my interior decorating. For the next 15 minutes he arranged and re-arranged everything in the pen. When satisfied, he drank some water and then turned his attention to the food bowl. With a quick swat of the paw, the kibble was on the floor and he spent several minutes sorting it out. Mazuri on the left, Totally Ferret in the middle and Marshall’s on the right. It was then I decided to name him “Monk” after the obsessive-compulsive character in a TV show of the same name.
Fast forward seven weeks. “Monk” has doubled his weight, is growing a beautiful coat of fur, has boundless energy and a heart full of love for everyone he meets. And Mike has resigned himself to being the “other man” yet again.
Please visit the shelter for information on our Foster Program
|
‘Tis the season for hair balls. As soon as coats start changing, there is increased risk of your ferret getting a hairball. The medical term for a hairball is a “Trichobezoar”. It can pose a serious health risk in some ferrets which seem to accumulate hair in the stomach that forms literally a plug. A ferret will lose appetite and can dramatically lose weight. Surgery is required to remove the trichobezoar – the ferret’s life is in danger.
How to prevent this? During coat change, groom your ferret everyday with a baby brush or comb to remove excess hair. Cat laxatives can be given orally: most ferrets prefer the malt flavor – give your ferret a ribbon of about ¼ to ½ an inch daily.
The image above shows hairballs removed from the stomach by surgery. Note that the one is shaped in the curvature of the stomach. The ferret refused to eat as this was taking up all the space of the stomach.
|
