From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2009-06-21 00:28:37 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Sick ferrets in Australia
To: fhl <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
I was hoping to hear back from Christina before sharing this in case
she needed any changes or additions. Not having heard anything she
can correct or add publicly if needed.
This is worked from the words of a ferret expert vet who was asked for
advice by the ferret people in Australia.
*****The information is being shared so that if someone winds up with
a similar situation there is more info in the FHL and the easily used,
separate FHL Archives to help those ferrets. Sharing information
saves lives.*****
Okay, here, in order are the possible causes a consulting ferret vet
has recommended that the Australian vets look into as being among the
possible causes, as well as other recommendations and essential points
made. If the author is asked for permission to post her words here
and gives it then her own words could be carried with her name, but
*****until then this is a small portion of what was said***** done
with paraphrasing (i.e. my words instead of hers so that her copyright
is honored). This is a great gift of the chance to learn for other
ferrets' sake.
First letter:
1. organophosphate, other pesticide, and endotoxin screening should
be done. Other possibilities that can not yet be ruled out appear to
include Salmonella toxin, Clostridium toxin, etc.
2. Aerobic and Anaerobic bacteria both need to be considered.
3. Histopathology is needed on the nervous systems of these animals.
4. The rodents need hisptology for lymphochoriomeningitis,
hantavirus, salmonella, leptospirosis, listeriosis, and toxoplasmosis.
5. The reduce the risks the people should amke the following changes
now in case they may help:
A. cook all food
B. capture any wild rodents in the locations and test them
C. request toxicology screening
D. Euthanize the sickest rodent pets and test fully.
E. Clean and disinfect all furnishings and bring the ferrets indoors
where possible exposures may be reduced.
6. Tularemia if it is present there may be a possibility.
7. Listeria monocytogenes and a number of toxins can cause the
symptoms seen.
8. Abdominal ultrasound and a closer look at their hearts
Second letter:
1. Very few diseases are able to cause similar symptoms in such very
different animals as ferrets and rodents.
2. Listeria monocytogenes is one of very few bacteria that could
cause kidney, GI and central nervous system symptoms in animals that
are so different from each other.
3. In rare cases some strains of the following also might:
Leptospirosis, Toxoplasmosis, Trichenella, and Sarcocystis though the
last three would have shown up on histology of the brain. (My own
question is "Was that done by a pathologist?")
4. In the U.S. that expert says that Baylisascaris (spread from
roundworms raccoons have) would also be checked into.
5. She continues and suggests that vectors which have to be
considered include wild rodents, birds, insects, and humans, that many
factors need to be looked at by a professional: layout, water source
and storage, all food sources and their storage plus handling, vermin
control, other animals, wildlife, and more.
6. The expert asks also about soil changes and soil plowed up, molds
in hay or animal feed, mold in food.
7. A full epidemiological work-up of the animals and location is
recommended.
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:ferrethealth-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:ferrethealth-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ferrethealth-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/