Ferrets have been poisoned.

[darrren 414]

I'm currently deployed in afgahn, and luckily flying home today for a week. My gf called me crying her eyes out early hours. She went to feed the ferrets and they are both dead. Blood and foam coming out of the mouth. At first she thought someone had poisoned them as there was a bit of fur or feathers there but we live up a little track. I don't see why anyone would do this. Next door moved out while I've been here as apparently there have been rats in his house. The other neighbours reported rats aswell and called the environment agency. It is clearly poison and I'm wondering if the EA have been and put poison out or one of the neighbours. They were fine in the morning and when she went to give them the evening feed found them dead. I felt sick when she told me and nearly passed out. I'm just wondering if this sounds intentional, would poison really get into the hutch in it wasn't directly placed there. There's 2 doors I feel I should be knocking on locally but not want to start anything without a few opinions. 

[dytkos 17,861]

Real sorry to hear that mate, your not having the best time of it lately. Don't go steaming in anywhere till your sure what's happened. Hope your luck changes soon.

Cheers, D.

[Gilbey 1,478]

botulism? Has she been cleaning them out properly when you've been away

[darrren 414]

0Yes she has been keeping on top of them. It jsit seems to coincide with the EA being called due to rats and all of a sudden they seem to be having the effects of poisoning. Tell me about it, my dad died end of last year, this whole court thing I'm being dragged back for now for absolute nonsense and now this on top of it. And the only thing i are about is my dogs, ferrets and birds. Absolutely gutted I am and at the moment I'm just at the end of my tether with everything. 

[Gilbey 1,478]

is it meat she's feeding? Just seems more likely its something they've been fed, mind a couple of peoples dying of botulism years back. Keep at it mate

[darrren 414]

I can't imagine it, she's pretty funny about what she feeds when it comes to meat, it's normally a mix of mince or cat biscuits in summer to keep the flysbaway. I just don't understand how they have both died at the same time and she said they were both twisted up which breaks my heart because I know they have suffered. I will have a good look about tomorrow when I am back and see if I can figure out what's happened.is botchulism common in ferrets I've not heard of it before. 

[Gilbey 1,478]

look it up, only know of two cases donkeys years ago and it was old fellas that weren't the best

[darrren 414]

I'm genuinely gutted. I will have a good look into it when I get back. No doubt now I will be looking for a pair of kits if anyone has any or any litters due. They will be looked after which is just why I can't get my head around what has happened. I will be moving the hutch to the back with the kennels for a start so nobody can get to it. Heartbroken isn't the word it's all I can think about, poor things hate to think of them suffering like that. 

[Arry 22,899]

As I said in Whatsapp mate I think somebody chucked a dead poisoned rat in their hutch. The offer stands mate.

Cheers Arry

[jiggy 3,209]

I lost a ferret after he ate some of a rubber mat in his box. They don't digest things well and you could feel the ball in his stomach. If that was a dog they would sh1t it out but if ferrets eat the wrong thing they can't pass it.

[darrren 414]

Thanks arry glad to have you as a mate. You and bry been good as gold to me and em since we known you and glad to have you as our friends. I am in minad by dubai now and fly tomorrow after oon so hopefully I can get back and try and see what's happened. I am going to move the hutches now I never want anything like this to happen again. Some people are sick individuals if that's what has happened. 

[micky 3,325]

I was Ferreting at a place near  Wansford in the 60s , I had some young Ferrets that I wanted to start in late September and this place was alive with Rabbits that were all in open setts , I chucked em both in and in seconds the ground was shaking and two Rabbits were squealing  and that was it for a while eventually one shown up and was distressed  it was rubbing its head on the ground and choking and its eyes were streaming and  died as I watched then the other came rolling out latched on to a very fat Mixy Rabbit which had part of its face eaten , the Ferret started to the same as the other one so I killed it , for years I thought it was something to do with eating the puss off of the Rabbit or a dead one underground  but when I spoke to a vet about it years later he thought the ferret may have passed through a pocket of Cymag that had lingered underground for some time 

I used to go to this area lot in the 60s and it is one of the three places I have been and have seen Rabbits in their Pre Mixi numbers and on that day at Elton there must have 2/300 White Scuts  running from me in just one field 

[fred90 3,314]

interesting story micky and I would go along with the vet being right. I can believe cymag gas lingering for a while after its been introduced. 

[Lee farrington 211]

Sorry to hear what's happened Darren.   A friend of mine had a ferret die a while back and they found a mouse tail in the hutch, that was put down to poison. Hope you get to the bottom of it and your luck changes 

[FerretFluff 1]

Really sorry to hear that, hope your luck changes