From:
Mike
Date: 2010-03-25 23:15:17 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] ECE
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, F M L <ferret-L@listserv.ferretmailinglist.org>
Can Ferrets get ECE more than once.
=A0
We seem to have ECE here at our house.=A0 We have 8 ferrets housed in two F=
erret Nation two level cages.=A0 They share play space, toys, and time.
=A0
One ferret named Sprout (who I've posted about) is recovering.=A0 He is mai=
ntaining a weight of 2 lbs 3 ounces to 2 lbs 4 ounces, and I think it will =
climb some more as we are feeding him 30 - 35 mls of pureed chicken mixed w=
ith 45 mls of water three times a day.=A0 He licks it from the end of the s=
yringe as it dribble out.=A0 He had been down to 1 lb 13.5 ounces.=A0 His s=
tools are loose only slightly green at times otherwise a little dark.=A0 He=
is on 0.5mg Prednisolone and pepsid twice a day.=A0 He is looking more ale=
rt and active although he still isn't back to 100 percent.=A0 I'm told it c=
an take 3 - 6 months to fully recover.
=A0
Now a second ferret Bandit has lost weight and was under 2 lbs.=A0 We start=
ed him on the chick just like Sprout.=A0 At the vet his glucose was 45 alth=
ough he was very alert and active.=A0 His stool had a lot of sport forming =
bacteria (Sprout had that before he lost weight).=A0 Everything else looked=
okay.=A0 He is on the same food regimen as Sprout and he is getting 0.25 m=
ls of Clavamox and 10 mg of Prednisolon twice a day.=A0 His weight was 2 lb=
s even at the vets and we are hopeful that it will continue to climb with t=
he feedings.
=A0
It seems that either the ECE is preceded with the spore forming rod bacteri=
a or it is followed by it (more likely followed and its an opportunistic ba=
cteria).=A0 We don't want to put him on pred while he has a bacterial infec=
tion.
=A0
Bandit sleeps in one cage with three other ferrets and Sprout sleeps with t=
he other three in the other cage.=A0 Sprout is in a hospital cage right now=
since his surgery.
=A0
We figure that they all have been exposed to it and sometimes we find some =
green loose stools but they are not bright green they are very light green =
and you have to look close to see it.=A0
=A0
We're not sure if we should or can keep everyone separated from each other =
or if it would make any difference at this point.
=A0
We are going to keep a close watch on everyone weight and keep giving the c=
hicken to those who are underweight.
=A0
The reason I ask is about whether or not ferrets can get ECE more than once=
is, once Bandit is over his bacterial infection we are thinking of keeping=
him and Sprout together until they have recovered from the ECE
=A0
Also where does ECE come from?=A0 Is it normally in the environment?=A0 I j=
ust wonder how we got it here in the first place.
=A0
Thanks
=A0
Mike
=20=20=20=20=20
[ECE appears to have originally been a mutation of
Mink EGE that found the ferret host in fur farms
which also sold fitch pelts (i.e. ferret pelts). This
coronavirus can shed for as long as 8 months in
some individuals so we actually kept ours separate
from others for a year and did not go to any pet
stores (used online purchasing) or any places where
the disease might transmit during that time. It CAN
be carried on clothing though more often is from
exposure to a diseased ferret or that ferret's waste.
Kits sometimes have totally asymptomatic cases
but still shed the virus so it is pretty common to
hear that the sick ferrets were recently exposed to
a kit.
Along with the separate FHL Archives that can be
linked to from the list website this is a truly excellent
resource:
http://www.afip.org/consultation/vetpath/ferrets/ECE/ECE.html
There is a necropsy photo (warning for those who mind those).
-- Moderator]
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