From:
Roger Vaughn
Date: 2002-01-12 19:15:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] Z/D, seedy stools and tired fert
> Hi Roger,
> I think I missed something. If he is not
> showing signs of EE, ECE, ot IBD then why
> are you feeding him Z/D?
> Jerry Murray, DVM
Hi Dr. Murray.
That's an excellent question. I'm afraid I didn't go into all of the history on him. In short, he's had inconsistent stools for months - "squishy" to runny, but never firm. Sometimes greenish, sometimes seedy, sometimes mucusy. In September, he had a vomitting episode and ended up undergoing an emergency exploratory for possible GI blockage. The GI blockage was negative, but there was an unexplained buildup of large amounts of gas and fluids in his stomach.
His vet and I have been trying to figure out what caused this episode and the soft stools. Some sort of GI disturbance seems guaranteed, but other than what I mentioned (soft stools, anemia, and potential lack of energy), he doesn't display any of the usual symptoms of any of these diseases. A stomach biopsy (I know, intestinal is better - we didn't know better then and apparently neither did the emergency surgeon) sent to one lab came back as EE. The same sample, sent to another lab (Antec) and examined by an exotics pathologist, came back EE negative, later confirmed by bloodwork performed by the same lab - no peripheral eosinophilia.
With all I have read on ECE, I tend to discount that as well. He did not display the "green slime" phase, and his stools never really cleared up as most ECE descriptions say happens.
So, that leaves his vet and I thinking it may be mild IBD or simply food allergies. We have not attempted any virus screening tests. I came to the list describing his symptoms, and some members suggested Z/D. With nothing really to lose, we decided to try him on it to see what happened. What happened is a happy ferret with brown "birdseed" stools.
So there you have it.
If you have any insights or suggestions on what we should look at next - or if you just want to tell me he's normal and let it be - I'll be happy to hear it.
Thanks!
Roger, Digger and Bear