Hi all, I don't usually post to the list, but have always found it helpful
for advice.  Sadly, what has taken me out of lurker mode is my Gillian's
ill-health.
 
Gillian is almost two (her approximate birthday is October 1) and has
always been a very active, healthy ferret.  On Wednesday night (the 23rd)
I noticed that she wasn't playing with my other three, but just flopping
down and sighing.  I thought she was just bored, so I let her play in my
bedroom (where they are usually not allowed) and instead of chuckling and
dancing, she calmly walked around on the bed and laid down.  By then, it
was about 11 pm, so I called my vet and left a message that I would be in
with her first thing in the morning.
 
Thurseday morning, the vet told me she was anemic, and performed a full
blood panel, which he sent out to Tennessee, and sent her home with
instructions to keep her in a carrier, so she could conserve energy and
be separated from the others.  I would bring her back in the morning for
further tests.  The next morning, he called me, before I left my house,
and asked me to also bring Jethro, my largest ferret, in case she needed
a transfusion.  I dropped them off and went to work.
 
At around noon, he called to tell me that her packed cell volume was 8
(normal is 40) and that she should be transferred to the Animal Medical
Center in NYC immediately (we live in Westchester, so the AMC is about an
hour away).  There, while waiting in an exam room for a vet, she produced
seedy stools, which were the first abnormal stools I had seen.  Just then,
two vets came in and I pointed the stools out to them.  They told me that
it was most likely ECE and, about re-doing her blood, came back with a PCV
of 14, so informed me that a transfusion was not necessary.  I went home
relieved, with them assuring me everything would be ok, and that I could
pick her up the next day (Saturday).
 
I called the AMC before I left to pick her up, only to find that she had
gotten worse.  When I got there, she was receiving a blood transfusion from
one of the live-in donor ferrets.  They let me in the treatment room to see
her for about 15 minutes and she did seem alert and fairly content, rooting
around in her blanket that I had brought from home.  When I picked her up,
she immediately crawled in between my sweater and t-shirt (which is her
favorite spot to sleep), and refused to come out, except to peek her little
nose out and give me weasel kisses.  They reported that she was eating
well, and I could pick her up on Monday.  Leaving her there was terrible,
but I knew it was something I had to do.
 
On Monday morning, I was at work, looking forward to picking her up, when
the doctor called and said that she now wasn't eating and had to be
force-fed, and was dehydrated, and had to be catheterized.  I went to visit
her after work and she looked worse.  I only got one or two kisses before
she again crawled into my sweater and fell asleep.  They had told me that
visitor can only stay for 15 minutes, but thankfully they gave me about an
hour with her.  During that time, the vet came in and said that she had
three infections--ECE, helicobacter, and an unidentified protozoa.
 
Earlier this morning, I called and the vet said she was alert and doing
ok, but still has diarrhea.  They have started her on antibiotics and
anti-protozoa drugs.  I am going to see her again tonight, and hopefully
she will be feeling better and they will have identified the protozoa.
 
My question to everyone is: Have you ever seen a ferret with such a
plethora of infections?  All my other ferrets (three) are perfectly
healthy.  What could have caused this?  Just bad luck?
 
Also, please keep my baby Gillian in your thoughts.  She needs every ounce
of support she can get.
 
Thank you all (and sorry this is so long)
Donna
[Posted in FML issue 3159]