194 FERRET FACTS AND FANCIES. 



dipped in the coal oil and applied to all the 

 affected parts. 



Swelled throat or lump jaw can hardly be 

 called a disease, as it sometimes makes its 

 appearance among the best kept ferrets. The 

 cause appears to be unknown. Some breeders 

 call it a boil caused from ferrets that are thin 

 and in poor condition and have impure blood. 

 The first you will notice, perhaps, will be that 

 the ferret will not come oit to eat at feeding 

 time; upon examination jim will find that the 

 throat has a hard sweelin^ or boil which will 

 become soft or ripe. Now orovide yourself with 

 a sharp knife or other instjument and lance this 

 swelling or boil, squeeze and press all the matter 

 and blood out that joii cvn. Then it would be 

 well to inject with a small syringe, or dropper, 

 some alcohol. If the cut closes up and matter 

 forms again, open it as l^efore. Generally the 

 swelling subsides and the rut heals up with only 

 one treatment. I would o dvise you not to keep 

 this ferret's young for bre«^ders; neither would I 

 keep him or her for that p urpose, as we can't be 

 too careful in selecting oar stock for breeding 

 purposes. 



Distemper cannot strirtly be called a ferret 

 disease. It occurs amo7ig dogs and once in 

 a while the ferret contracts it from the dogs in- 



