From:
bcarlson15210
Date: 2002-02-27 07:34:00 UTC
Subject: Yellow/green intermittant poops
I have 10 ferrets at my house and have a few who will have an odd poop
or two one day, wait a few days and do it again. I also have a couple
who have yellow, sometimes foamy poop most of the time. None of these
ferrets are dehydrated or act sick in any way.
I recently got a puppy who turned out to have coccidia (although she
had no symptoms at all) which had been found on fecal exam at the
vet's. She was treated with Albon for 7 days and about 4 days later
turned up with worms. I took another sample to the vet and they found
tapeworm eggs and a little more coccidia. She was given another 7 days
of Albon and medication for the tapeworms.
I only had her in the house 3 days before we found the coccidia --
could my ferret's odd pattern of pooping be coccidia? At $18 a fecal
exam, I could go broke having 10 ferrets tested -- and it seems like
sometimes it doesn't actually show up. The other puppies in the litter
were supposedly tested and came up negative for coccidia!
I'm very confused. I have no problem taking them to the vet, but it
seems strange to take a seemingly healthy ferret to the vet (I spend a
lot of time there with the others with adrenal, insulinoma, etc.).
Does anyone have any advice? Should I try to get a sample of the
odd-looking poop to the vet? How long do I have between taking the
sample and getting it to the vet to be useful? Does it help or hinder
if I put the sample in the fridge? (No, I won't tell my family, they'd
have a heart attack)
--Barb--