From:
sonyablu67@aol.com
Date: 2001-10-31 09:33:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] ECE Virus in Ferrets
Hello ! Thank you so much for responding. We have our 5 fuzzies
(who are all within 6-9mths except for Luna who is 3) on the amoxil
and we are watching them closely. I truly appreciate your response
and suggestions. I will make sure that I check that website out.
So far, they are showing some green stool but not all the time.
What an awful dis-ease. Watching Ginger and Armand go was so
painful.
Would love to correspond. Sincerely, Michele
In a message dated 10/28/01 6:36:33 PM Eastern Standard Time,
russellprater@worldnet.att.net writes:
sonyablu67@aol.com wrote:
> If anyone can
> tell us about ECE experiences that they have come across I would
be
> so appreciative to
> hear how they dealt with this awful virus and how they made out
with
> their fuzzies.
I am not a vet. When I got Bonnie & Clyde they brought Booger the
virus
and he was vomiting and gushing diarrhea within 36 hours. My vet
had no
experience with ECE, but I had a copy of the ECE faq from Ferret
Central
and we poured thru it. We came up with a plan of treatment and
Booger
was feeling pretty good in two weeks. I later bought a copy of Dr.
Purcell's book and read what she had to say about it. Her plan of
treatment very closely matched what we came up with. The
attachment that
follows is a combination of her plan and ours.
--
Russ, Booger, Bonnie & Clyde
russellprater@worldnet.att.net
URA Redneck if you view duct tape as a long term investment.
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Epizootic Catarrhal Enteritis is an infection caused by a
coronavirus.
It usually begins about 2 days after exposure with a little
vomiting
followed by voluminous quantities of neon green diarrhea. The
disease
has a low mortality if treatment is begun immediately and persued
vigorously. The treatment below is a combination of that suggested
by Dr. Karen Purcell and what my vet and I worked out when Booger
had it.
Loperamide, (Immodium Liquid, OTC), 1 ml every 12 hours for
diarhea.
Kao-pectate, (OTC), 1 to 2 ml every 12 to 24 hours. For diarrhea.
(you'd probably do better to just forget this and use the
Carafate)
Pepcid AC, (Famotidine, OTC), Crush and disolve one 10 mg tablet
in
10 ml of water. Give .25-.5 ml twice a day to prevent acid build
up
and ulcers.
Carafate, (Sucrafate, Rx), .5 to 1.25 ml suspension every 6-8
hours
to coat and soothe the stomach and intestines.
Amoxicillin (Rx) .5 ml twice daily for secondary infections.
Pediapred, (Prednosolone, Rx), .1 to .5 mg/kg every 12-24 hours to
fight inflamation of the intestines and improve appetite.
Your ferret may quit eating and drinking. If so, you will have to
give
fluids (Pedialyte, OTC) and food by syringe in the corner of the
mouth.
Many owners mix up what is called "Duck Soup" and there is a
recipe in
the ECE FAQ on www.ferretcentral.org. My vet gave me CliniCare, a
liquid diet for sick cats and Booger liked it. Dr. Purcell
recommends
Hill's A/D.
ECE has a very low fatality rate in young, otherwise healthy,
ferrets,
but is really rough on the elderly or ill ferret and may take
months to
recover or may die. Be sure to read the ECE FAQ at
http://www.ferretcentral.org and there is some info on it at
http://www.miamiferret.org, too. Kim Schilling's book "Ferrets for
Dummies" has a good section on it.