From:
Ferrethealer@aol.com
Date: 2006-07-28 02:34:13 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] ADV testing Re: [ferrethealth] Digest 27 Jul 2006 20:14:58 -0000 Issue 1395
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
In a message dated 07/27/06 4:16:40 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
ferrethealth-digest-help@smartgroups.com writes:
I can understand people who don't feel testing is necessary. I've tested my
ferrets with the Avecon quick saliva test and nobody ever tested positive.
But last year my Reno died of ADV. And this year one of my ferrets died of
pericarditis and the pathology came back that he had ADV yet 2 days before
his death he had blood taken and the CEP test was done and that came back as
negative. I personally haven't had much luck with ADV tests. Pathology
says my ferrets have ADV but the saliva test and CEP test say they are
negative for ADV.
Dr Ruth, which tests do you use?
**Hi, Ulrike - I did not get your original post as a storm seems to have
caused aol to drop that digest, but I alternate between the Avecon saliva test and
the CIEP test. I have seen a couple of patients that tested negative through
those, but based on pathology, had lesions characteristic of Aleutian
disease. My theory on those ferrets is that they managed to clear the virus from
general circulation but were unable to completely clear it from their organs -
those ferrets would have been non-shedding and therefore not of risk to the
other ferrets they lived with.
I have seen ferrets with Aleutian disease - it's a pretty ugly illness when
active, and it does appear that different strains are more active than others.
The tests aren't perfect. The University of Georgia was close to a more
accurate test, but the researcher who was working on it has moved on, and I'm not
sure what's going to happen with their testing set-up - if anyone has heard,
I'd love to have more information.
My belief is that if you don't test your ferret, you don't have any
information as to whether your ferret is at risk not only to itself, but to other
ferrets. The ferrets that are test negative, but come up positive on pathology are
not, IMO, a health risk to other ferrets.
Like I said, there's a large discrepancy between vets and what we believe
about ADV.**
Dr. Ruth
*****************************************
Save lives - spay or neuter your pet.
====================================================================<<<
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%3D18028