We are back from the INWFA ferret show with a few ribbons and some great winnings, but it wasn’t all giftbaskets and roses the weeks before we left. Jessie, an AFA judge from PA had taken a liking to Jamba. Because she is an AFA judge, she needed a current ADV test before we could drive him up to Coeur D’alene to be flown to Pennsylvania in order to go home with her. No problem! He was tested before he came to the shelter and hadn’t had contact with any untested ferrets, his blood work will be negative for sure! We did the usual test and sent it in to the usual place. Dr. Blau left a message on the phone — it wasn’t the usual message. “Jamba is positive- I ran both tubes.”  Oh crud, I thought, this really stinks..but it has to be a false positive for sure.

Before I go into what it takes to turn a positive result into a negative one, you first must know that there is only one place in the country that is able to do a test thorough enough to make a positive turn into a false positive, and that place is at the University of Georgia infectious diseases research lab…. and that phone number isn’t the easiest to acquire.

Georgia on my mind

Do you know what it takes to get tests run at the University of Georgia? — They only work with vets, so we had to have our vet call. In true Laura fashion,  I called them anyway, and I swear there’s one very patient woman stuck doing research and answering phones all day. I picture her in a white lab coat making smears on petri dishes with a phone to her ear and stirring samples with her left foot or something.She sounds very understaffed there by herself.
Regardless of the lab, I knew we could get the sample to them and get results back within 2.5 weeks. It only takes about 5-7 days to go across country and only two days to test! No problem.. lots of time! Thursday, one day before the show, I call. My new best friend lonely researcher says “We got your sample yesterday!” YESTERDAY??!? yesterday! I think “Does Georgia transport mail by donkey?”  Ack! Panic set in and the thoughts flow: Jessie will be disappointed,  everyone who has been in our shelter is considered tainted, the shelter kid who won a big show back east is tainted,  my ferrets technically aren’t allowed to show, nor are Bonnie’s (she was going with me), can we run the show? Are there enough ferrets to run the ring without ours?, Should I go? Will anyone buy things from us if we “might” have a positive? Will our reputation be ruined?  Ok, could you say I was a little worried, not to mention it changed the entire plan.

Friday morning

Sometimes getting pushy has its benefits. As we are waiting to know whether we can pack the car for the show, we watch the time we were supposed to leave arrive and pass. We call Jessie who promptly calls my best friend (lonely researcher) to see if we can get results moved ahead, or emailed, or something we can access in a car that is traveling far, far away from the fax machine where results will be sent! I don’t know what Jessie said, but something magical must have happened.
It worked and at 1pm we had pestered poor University of Georgia researcher until we got the results faxed. I had to sit and wait for the results to come to my office and then to get emailed to me. So.. after all that craziness, we get the papers, pack up the car, and head up to the show. Three hours behind, but on our way.

Happy ending

Jamba–the transgendered cancer boy loves his new home and his new family. I probably need to send that researcher a card or something.

And no worries he was negative, and was never positive (sometimes cancers throw odd proteins that trigger the CIEP test to read positive). Quarantine does work. As far as the show went, my ferrets did their usual so-so. Ranger, the former adopted kid took Best in Show, and lots of former shelter ferrets did really, really well. It was a fun whirlwind of a trip.

Jamba flew home this past Monday where he lovingly sleeps on the end of the bed with Jessie, very much loved. Best wishes Jamba…

Laura - Executive co-director