Dear Lisa:
 
>Dr. Jordan said that Tazz had a very mild case and to treat Gigi as well
>since she was exposed to him.  They haven't slowed down a bit.....playing,
>eating, drinking, etc.  I'm giving them both amoxicilan (sp?) drops and
>keeping my eye on them.  My question is....since they are both so young
>and seem to be getting it over very quickly...is there chance of them
>getting it again??  And, we got him from the same PetCo as Gigi.,..how
>do you know if one is exposed or not.  I certainly wouldn't have gotten
>him if I knew he had ECE.
 
YOung healthy frerets do tend to get over it quickly - and no as most ECE
is transmitted by recovered, asymptomatic shedders, or healthy appearing
pet store kits, there is no way that you could have identified Tazz as a
carrier.  It is very difficult to tell if a ferret has been exposed - so
you must be vigilant every time you bring a new animal into a naive
household.
 
REgarding getting it again - ferrets generally do not get ECE twice;
however, if they have a severe case, their damaged GI tract may be more
susceptible to normal dietary and environmental stresses for months to
come.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
[Posted in FML issue 3254]