From:
"US7"
Date: 2005-11-02 09:53:47 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] RE: Sneezing.....
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <E04VSB.21878QYH@comcast.net>
When you talk about science and medicine it's not real helpful to have an "=
opinion" about something, unless you're an experienced veterinarian. You ne=
ed facts.
Sukie has pointed out many times the difference between colds and influenza=
in ferrets. It's an important distinction, because influenza (or sinus inf=
ections, as Sukie has recently pointed out) will not just go away. Usually =
influenza causes secondary bacterial infections of some kind. Both sinus in=
fections and secondary bacterial infections require antibiotics immediately=
. Letting these kinds of infections "run their course" would be highly fool=
ish.
The reason I'm pointing this out is because I lost two of my ferrets due to=
my thinking "it was just a cold". It was even cute, their little sneezes. =
It seemed to be going away. But then their secondary infections advanced in=
to the nervous system. All my ferrets had cysts in their ears, which weren'=
t noticed until they burst and bled. This is how it entered the nervous sys=
tem.
Besides the two I lost, I have one ferret with a permanent head tilt and on=
e who moves like he has Parkinson's disease (some kind of neurological resu=
lt of the infection reaching the nervous system). Thankfully, both these gu=
ys are pretty healthy in spite of their handicaps. Sid, the one with the he=
ad tilt, has even learned to stand on his back feet. It took him over a yea=
r. Jaws will never stand on his back feet.
I think often of the two I lost. I have to look at my remaining guys each a=
nd every day with their handicaps, and it pains me that I was so ignorant a=
bout it. I would hate to have anybody else make this same foolish assumptio=
n.
Roary
Albuquerque, NM
---------- Original Message ----------
To: (ferrethealth@smartgroups.com)
From: (s.m.owens@rogers.com)
:Many say they don't get the common cold, but I know of a few people (mysel=
f:included) that have had their ferrets come down with one. If everything:=
else is fine, I wouldn't worry about it. It will have to run it's course:a=
s in humans (unless a complication develops).
:
:Barring introducing a new product in the house (could be anything, ie::cle=
aning products, personal use (hairspray, etc.), new perfume), it:probably i=
s a bug they caught considering half of them are sneezing.
:
:Just my opinion.
: