Message Number: SG2808 | New FHL Archives SearchFrom: Sukie Crandall
Date: Mon, 06 Jan 2003 16:05:53 -0500
To: weberarms@yahoo.com, ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Subject: Re: ECE --- Dr. Williams
Message-id: <a05200f14ba3f9da0abc0@[10.0.1.36]>
Sub-cu/sub-q/sub-cutaneous rehydration is fluid put under the skin to
help them rehydrate. IV is in the vein. Intraosseous is in the bone
(which is used sometimes when IV fails).
Dehydration is in itself a dangerous thing in general and especially
for the kidneys.
In addition, dehydration reduces the senses of smell and taste. The
exhaustion which dehydration causes combined with not being able to
tell what is food prevents good eating, combined with the other
factors of illness. Warming the food, using a food that is very
gentle on the GI tract such as an all meat baby food, and keeping the
ferret hydrated allow the ferret to more willingly eat. Combine it
with soothing sounds like music, soft singing or soft and calm
talking, and cuddling (placing the ferret and food on your lap and
finger feeding patiently so that your worry doesn't affect the
ferret's behavior) and most ferrets can be gotten to eat.
ECE and other diseases that cause the runs are not the only causes of
dry mucus membranes. Ferrets on a lot of Lasix sometimes also need
special feeding due to reduced ability to tell what is food.
The ECE retrovirus has been isolated (by Dr. Williams first) and
independently confirmed, and Dr. Matti Kiupel has been working toward
an eventual vaccine.
I sent you and posted a website which should prove a great help to you.
Sukie
Send comments to Pam at pjdutche@email.unc.edu. Please note that this address is only useful for questions about the FHL archive. Questions about ferret health, or those intended for the FHL, should be sent to the Ferret Health List.