From:
motorcityferrets@hotmail.com
Date: 2006-06-23 00:04:32 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] RE: DVMs Please: transmission of coccidia
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
I've been around and around trying to figure out how the coccidia we had was
transmitted.
We have a large main shelter room downstairs, where most of the gang reside. We
also have a separate room upstairs where new critters come to stay. When the
coccidia broke in my shelter, we had 42 critters in residence. Within 10 days all who
were affected that first time became sick; a total of 5 of 42. All who became sick
had been living in the shelter room for a time, save for the original sick two who,
once they became ill, setup a nursing room in the kitchen (we use all corners of our
home eventually ha).
In that first spell, as I call it, one of the critters who became obviously ill was our
Sophie. She never mingled with anyone. Further, she didn't even play in either of
the ferret rooms. As a personal, her cage was in the main room but she had run of
the upstairs (non ferret room space) for playtime. Her cage was up high and thus
she had no contact with the other ferrets, other than when a curious sort would
climb her cage for a nose to nose (I consider that pretty limited contact).
After the first spell the coccidia went upstairs and sickened two of the critters who
had been living in the upstairs room for the duration of the initial outbreak. The
outbreak began in mid-June. We closed multiple times and obtained clear stool
checks on all the sick'uns, then we would bow to the pressure and take in new
critters (where shall they go, after all?). Each time until October the new kiddos
would be affected. Of course we were watching for it and so no one became terribly
ill, as we started anyone with anything less than perfect poopies on a course of the
Albon. Now, we ended up with all the critters downstairs except new kiddos. We
scrubbed the upstairs room within an inch of it's life and started fresh 3 times;
cleaning like mad, power washing cages, etc. etc. etc. and then accepting a new
surrender, who was affected within 10 days (usually sooner). Then in late October
the latest surrender didn't seem to develop coccidia and we haven't had a new case
since. ????????????????????????????
This is a quikie explanation, but in my experience if the critters are living together,
that's plenty o' contact for transmission. But remember, only 9 critters were ever
affected here (out of oh, say 70 in total). Doesn't mean the others didn't "catch" it,
but I believe it indicates they didn't develop it or their immune systems fought it off.
I've yet to fully understand how in the hell the coccidia travelled around my home.
Hell, one vet thought it was possible that, since it was summertime, the ordinary
amount of flies that come in the door might have helped spread it around. ???
I should also add we drove ourselves crazy doing stool checks. Hell, one of the girls
we lost had a clear stool check the night before she died. ?!?!? It's a damn
frustrating parasite and as I mentioned in my last post, I'd be mighty tempted to run
your critters through a course of Albon. We did a 21 day regimen, by the way
(based on critters' weight)
Nanci
Motor City Ferrets
====================================================================<<<
Orange Broadband click below:
http://ads.smartgroups.com/adclick/CID=000000b7c79a99a500000000
====================================================================>>>
--
If you want to share pictures, use the calendar, or start a vote
visit http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
To leave the group, email: ferrethealth-unsubscribe@smartgroups.com
Report abuse http://www.smartgroups.com/text/abusereport.cfm?gid%3D1423922&mid%3D17652