From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2007-05-11 15:30:06 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Please read this everyone!! Need ferret help quick!!!
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Well, there is the problems that rabies can
not be just ruled out. Two vets, including
one pathologist, have already written privately
that the symptoms put rabies at the top of the
list of possible causes for meshing with the
symptoms. That isn't to say that it could not be
something else, and hopefully it is something
other than rabies, but it sure does indicate a
need for testing.
The ferret has been in the person's home for
about 3 weeks. We don't know yet how long
it would take rabies to migrate in a kit to the
brain and begin reproducing there (which is
what causes onset of symptoms) after injury
or infected saliva getting into an open sore or
on mucus membranes (including those by the
eyes).
In the U.S. the primary type of rabies that
humans get when they progress to actual
symptoms is a bat type, and those who progress
to symptoms do not necessarily know that they
have even had an exposure because a bite by a
bat is very tiny.
Bat Conservation International did a study of
bats who could hang, and of downed bats who
could not. Such bats often can still fly and hop.
I, myself have seen a rabid bat who was down
and who could fly, maybe 10 years ago. Off hand,
I can't recall the rabies rates of bats who can hang,
but I think it was something in range of 5% (five
percent), but check me. Of the bats who were down
15% (fifteen percent) had rabies. That number I
always remember because we had an employee in
our community who once misheard it as "50".
Most of the bats who were down had been poisoned
instead.
So, exposure could have occurred without a
noticeable wound.
Some other vector animals include but are not
limited to raccoons, skunks, foxes, groundhogs,
coyotes, stray unvaccinated cats or dogs, etc.
It also is possible that the pet store had originally
sold the kit into a different household with
problems and that the kit was returned only to be
later bought by this kind soul.
Hopefully, it will not be rabies. It is important to
test, though, for the protection of all.
Someone asked me off line what happens when it
is. I will tell you what I have gleaned from reading
and from in the past knowing someone who used
to live in our town with a mixed animal household
who had a dog develop it but remember that I am
neither a vet nor an epidemiologist nor an infectious
disease expert:
If it is rabies the type of rabies will be determined by
testing because that might give an idea how how it
was acquired. Also, if it is rabies all the mammal
animals will have rabies vaccine boosters which have
been approved for their type of animal (In ferrets
that is IMRAB 3.), and the people will get a series of
two (I think it's two for the current shots, but check
me) shots in the arm (again check me, but it is no
longer the horrid shots in the abdomen and hasn't
been for some time) with exact timing between them
to destroy any possible rabies virus in the nerves
before it can migrate to the brain. The mammal pets
(which are the ones at risk) will be watched for 10
days if they are dogs, cats or ferrets. I don't know the
recommendations for other animals.
There is one teenage girl who survived with treatment
after rabies went to her brain, albeit with neural
damage. A recent report described trying the same
approach for two (three?) boys but it did not work, so
she remains the only one that approach has worked for.
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "Joan" <jevanci1@...> wrote:
>
> PM,
> Is there a remote possibility that he has gotten into any kind of meds or poisons?
> The dried saliva, staring off etc, would indicate possibly having had a seizure of some
> kind. I would then consider a neurological issue, having ruled out exposure to rabies.
> How did you acquire this ferret?
> Is the Vet you're using a Ferret Vet?
> Many a well meaning Vet will hypothesize and treat with little or no exotic experience.
> IMHO, this requires a ferret knowledgeable Vet.
>
> - In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "pmlockhart" <plockhart@> wrote:
> >
> > I'm having a serious problem with my 3 month old ferret. The vets
> > are stumped. <snip>
>
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