Ferrets Diseases. 



205 



swells, especially about the eyes and lips, while the 

 former quickly become closed with the discharge. The 

 body shows signs of distress, and the animal becomes 

 prostrate. 



For the first and mild stage of the malady, removal to 

 fresh, clean, well-ventilated, but warm quarters, is desirable, 

 and the ferret should be washed in luke-warm soap and 

 water, in which a little Condy's Fluid has been added. Then 

 having been thoroughly dried and wrapped in flannel, it 

 should be placed in its nest. In about one or two hours 

 some warm milk, subsequent to a dose of five to ten drops 

 of cod-liver oil, should be given, and by next day it will 

 probably be much better, and on a fair way to recovery. 

 If severely attacked, a second bath and similar treatment 

 to that just mentioned must be repeated. When negligence 

 and want of proper care and food have allowed the sweat 

 to develop into its more virulent form of distemper, more 

 drastic measures must be adopted. The nostrils and eyes 

 must first be cleared of the matter formed there by gentle 

 bathing with warm milk and water ; after which a bath, as 

 above described, in luke-warm water, to which is added some 

 Condy's Fluid, say, one dessert spoonful to a quart of water. 

 When the animal has been thoroughly dried, a little vaseline 

 may be applied round the eyelids and upon the nostrils. 

 This done, the patient must be transferred to some warm 

 flannel and placed in its hutch. After about two hours, a 

 dose of ten drops of cod-liver oil or five drops of castor oil 

 may be given, followed by a meal of warm milk, in which 

 half its bulk of beef tea is mixed. The feeding should be 

 at short intervals four or five times a day, and the food be 



