From:
ferrethealer@aol.com
Date: 2009-03-08 19:11:12 UTC
Subject: Re Can a Ferret Catch Feline Coronavirus Re: [ferrethealth] Digest Number 1461
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
In a message dated 03/08/09 4:30:36 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com writes:
I have an outdoor cat that has possible FIV and a large tumor in his upper
abdomen. We might haveto euthanize him next week. In the meantime I was going to
let him in the house at night to make him more comfortable. Is this wise ? I
have one ferret and I would not want to risk her health..
**Well, first of all, FIV is feline immunodeficiency virus. FIP (feline
infectious peritonitis) is the feline coronavirus. Ferrets are not susceptible to
FIV and allowing the cat indoors will not risk the ferret. It does, however,
pose a risk to every other cat in your neighborhood to allow this cat to be
outside!
You say possible FIV. The test for FIV is readily available and fairly
inexpensive, so this should be confirmed. If the cat is positive and ill (ie, the
virus has gone active) the cat should not be allowed to continue an outside
lifestyle.
Now, if you mean FIP, ferrets have their own coronavirus, and they do tend to
be fairly species specific, but can mutate. The coronavirus that causes ECE
and the newer FIP-like disease in ferrets is thought to have mutated from the
mink coronavirus. Would the cat form mutate to affect ferrets? Unlikely, but
possible. Would I stress over it, in a similar situation? Nope.
However, again, look at the fairness to the cat - if it is ill enough from a
fatal disease that you are considering euthanasia, why wait a week and allow
the cat to continue to feel bad? While I know that it can be a hard decision
to make, it's a lot harder on everyone involved, especially the animal, to
prolong unnecessary suffering.
Dr. Ruth
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Save lives - spay or neuter your pet.
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