From:
williamsdvm@comcast.net
Date: 2003-12-29 03:10:26 UTC
Subject: RE: Bloated ferret-has infected all my others
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <1504207.1072667426282.JavaMail.root@indium.smartgroups.com>
Dear Donna:
Was a sample of the fluid taken and analyzed - I'd also like to see some bloodwork done. The two tests in combination may help to identify the cause of the fluid accumulation.
Don't rush to rule out ECE - new kits are still the most common source of the disease, and the prevalence of antibodies to ECE in much of our ferret population makes outbreaks today much different than a decade ago, when most ferret households were naive and we saw the classic outbreaks of green mucousy diarrhea.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, dVM
Author wrote:
> Thanks for your reply. The xray's were pretty comprehensive, they did 2 views
> on three different settings.
> We did have very stict quarantine, well as much as we could having two new
> kits in the same house. They were in a seperate room and we are not using
> anything to circulate air in the house (no heat). We changed clothing after
> handling the kits, washed anywhere they touched, used seperate bedding,
> seperate toys, seperate litter box scoops. Laundry leaving the room however
> did have to pass the other ferrets cage and I'm not sure of what left that room
> over the past 4 or 5 days.
> Honesty, I have no idea how he can be so active and gaining weight and even
> out growing the other kit and be so bloated. I'm going to be keeping a detailed
> history on how this progresses through the other ferrets in hopes that
> something I observe will help me come to a conclusion as to what is happening.
> Thanks for your time.
> Donna
> Author wrote:
> > I think I'd be asking for another x-ray because it sounds like something went
> wrong with that one. How could a ferret with an x-ray like that have a normal
> temp, be active, gaining weight and growing?
> > Also, it does not sound like ECE. That usually hits pretty hard and unless you
> followed some strict quarantine protocol when you brought the new boy home,
> it's unlikely it would have been 13 days before they began to exhibit symptoms.
> ECE usually makes them very ill right away though ferrets as young as yours
> handle it much better and get over it quicker.
> > Plus, given the history of kits as ECE carriers, I wouldn't be surprised if all of
> your 9 mo. to 4 mo. old ferrets have already been exposed prior to arriving at
> your home. Which means a new carrier wouldn't cause a problem for them.
> > mike