Message Number: YG7502 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Mike Janke
Date: 2001-09-27 22:15:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Pawing at mouth

The reason Tr got ECE when you introduced the new ferret is because
the new ferret was a carrier of the ECE virus. Where the baby
ferrets get it is not known for sure, but it's such a common
occurance I'm beginning to find it hard to believe the breeder's
stock isn't infected. But that's another debate.

Most medicines don't taste that great and some are absolutely
horrible. Most of the time you can hide the medicine into a small
amount of chicken baby food and make it a little more palatible. Even
then the taste is not great and it's often still a battle. Make sure
you ask your vet which medicines are OK to give with food. And of
course, make sure the ferret eats every drop of the food so they get
the full dose of whatever medicine is in it.

If you've ever had something like a stomach flu, you know how little
you felt like eating and you have to force yourself to eat. It's no
different with a ferret with ECE only they don't force themselves,
you have to be the one doing the forcing.

mike


--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., thayneg@u... wrote:
> I recently got a new baby ferret. My Tr is being treated for ECE
with
> Clavamox and when I give it to him he paws at his mouth, opens it
and
> paws inside. So I tried Amoxicillin and he does the same thing. I
> have to scruff him and he will take Chicken baby food mixed with
fat
> free milk (warmed). His sister keeps grinding her teeth and she
> loves the baby food and will eat nothing but treats as long as I am
> sitting there with her. Why does that happen? What causes ECE
when
> a new ferret is introduced to an existing ferrets.