From:
Ferret Wise Shelter
Date: 2005-01-03 18:53:11 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Coccidia
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-Id: <5.1.1.6.2.20050103134814.028dd980@mail.ferretwise.org>
At 11:23 AM 1/3/05, Ardith wrote:
>I was told recently that ferrets can pick up Coccidia in an area where dogs
>defecate. martgroups.com/text/abusereport.cfm?gid%3D1423922&mid%3D12120
>
Hi ARdith!
:)
Yes indeed in warm climates coccidia flourishes in the soil and can be
tracked by humans adn animals. It is not unheard of for humans to contract
coccidia too by walking barefoot through copntaminated dirt-- so I was
informed by A TX vet sometime ago. Therefore I would say coccidia is NOT
species specific.
We have had a coccidia outbreak at this shelter in 1997, one single ferret
brought it in and 23 others were soon under treatment - this was back
when coccidia was not widely identified with ferrets and folks were
speculating on ECE. Here our fecal tests did reveal the symptoms were
coccidia and I was tired but pleased at the end of medicating to have a
100% recovery!
Fecal checks for coccidia are warranted in my estimation- it is not always
shed in the stool so several tests may need to be run before the culprit is
identified!
Alicia
www.ferretwise.org