From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2001-05-14 22:30:00 UTC
Subject: Re: ECE and/or Irritable Bowel Syndrome?
>
>Does anyone have experience with ECE and IBS in ferrets? Or suggestions
>about what the following problem could be?
>
>Three years ago we got two kits. One turned out to have ECE and the other,
>the ferret in question, didn't have symptoms, but probably had the virus.
>We've had ECE flare-ups a few times since then in our business, but it has
>been manageable.
>
>The ferret in question now seems to have ECE --or something-- that just
>won't quit. He has until now been one of the healthiest. Previously he had
>not had any symptoms of ECE or other intestinal illness. For the last few
>weeks, however, his stools are greenish and sometimes orangish, and very
>mucousy. The ferret has not lost weight and does not appear to have
>dehydration problems. He is normally active. Except for the loose stools,
>he appears normally healthy.
>
>Our vet suggested irritable bowel syndrome, but this was during an earmite
>treatment, not a specific exam. (I am sure that if the ferret had looked
>ill to him then, he would have looked into it more.)
>
>I'd appreciate advice.
>
>Jacqueline
We have one now with persistent problems of this sort (months of it).
First the vet checked for parasites, then we tried runs of
medications of Helicobacter. When those approaches didn't work we
finally entered the phase where we are trying Prednisone at a minimal
dose and going from there. He's very active now and has not recently
lost weight, but gained a good bit with supplemental feedings. I am
glad that we did it in steps because we would not want to have missed
the other problems if they'd been the cause. We don't want to put
him through a biopsy right now.