From:
"Inge Kokidko"
Date: 2004-06-21 06:35:46 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] prolonged ECE?
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <003301c45759$fca20940$4a4dfea9@ingekokidko>
> Did it start just like ECE would, maybe a few days after taking home a new
ferret the other ferrets got the diarrhea? And the original ferret was
fine?
We had one ferret that was fine, and then added another. About a 3 weeks to
a month later, both ferrets showed these symptoms. My vet believed that it
may have been latent... they were both about 4~5 mos old when the symptoms
first appeared... I question that line of reasoning now, however.
> What tests were done? Change of diet tried?
As far as I know, the vet just checked a fecal sample for other causes of
the disease. I think I need to get some blood work done though. --Pardon
my ignorance here. I realize I do not know as much as I need to about what
sorts of test can/should be done, or about various diseases. I am trying to
educate myself in this area, however.
The change of diet has been tried a few times, and allowing at least a month
each time to make sure that their digestive system adjusted to the new food,
and it wasn't just the change of diet causing the wierd poop. Nothing
seemed to make a difference.
> Oh, and how often are the poops abnormal?
How often? A better question would be how often do they have a poop that is
somewhat *normal.* And that is next to never.
> Are you sure more than one, or could it be just one ferret with the
> diarrhea?
I virtually never see normal poop, anywhere. I'm 100% sure that whatever is
causing it, both of them have it (or perhaps they both have two different
things... in either case they are both sick).
Thanks *very* much to those of you who have responded so far, I'm going to
make an this week sometime and would love to bring some ideas to my vet.
I'm angry that I've simply went along with this diagnosis for this long, I'm
starting to have serious doubts that ECE is the culprit. I just have no
idea what else it could be.
Inge