Message Number: YPG555 | New FHL Archives Search
From: "Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2006-12-17 18:31:56 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Major find/Question-unknown illness!?
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com

--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, Darla <tdsmc@...> wrote:
>
> Since I have been dealing with recurrent diarrhea with my ferrets for over 2 years now
I'm wondering if that is what mine have?

Honestly, I don't know if the recurrent coccidia would last that long or would do so without
becoming life threatening, no idea at all.

Four things that do need to be considered:

1. Bacteria which are desired may have been killed off.
In our own experience some ferrets don't do well with long use of antibiotics. Yes, I have
read that with their short digestive tracts they tend to not have beneficial bacteria, but I
also have read reminders in past posts that it is normal to find certain bacterial in anything
fecal. Also, we have had some who were helped in the past by having yogurt with live
cultures given as treats when they had to have long term antibiotics and I know that others
here can speak about their own experience with Probiotics. (One note about tablet
Probiotics: a recent study by Consumer Lab found that not all contain the beneficial
bacteria they are supposed to contain so if one doesn't work that could say something
about the pill rather than about the ferret. These are the ones they tested, but a person
has to join to read fully. (I was going to a few days ago but they had website problems
that day.) Of course, a person can give probiotics by giving yogurt with live cultures.

2. IBD may have begun.
IBD has been considered by some vets who have looked at intestinal problems as being
the product of past diseases causing enough irritation to set up a chronic problem. Both
doctors Bruce Williams and Mark Burgess have spoken about this in the archives.
See:

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG297

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG18437


3. Other types of long term illnesses. Other FHL members will know a lot more about this
than I even begin to know.

4. Food or treat intolerance or allergy. We have had one like this. Poultry of any type set
him off. We have had some who can't tolerate any dairy, even cream or butter, and one
whose had an allergy to one of his treats -- though his symptoms were dermal. There are
past posts to help all from him Mom on RinkyDink whose food problems were worse yet,
and posts on others, and how their needs would up handled in the archives at
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/

You will find the archives to be very easy to use, very friendly, and downright addictive
since they are so useful for finding answers among the almost 6 years worth of posts.
One of the FHL's several moderators, Pam Sessoms did a wonderful job of making them
top notch and she and her hubby Eric Sessoms keep them working well so that ferret lives
can be saved by the information they contain.




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