You didn't think to use the masks and wash your hands more because it is
harder to think clearly when coming down ill.  Steve and I rely on each
other for reminders and even though that usually works it's not perfect,
as you know from Warp having gotten influenza from me this Winter.  Look
for tiredness and sometimes unusual crankiness or other signs of pain or
discomfort, coughing, sneezing, trouble breathing, sometimes GI bloat and
possible results of same.  If one seem sick isolate that one from the rest
(who still might not get it -- everyone but Warp was okay here after I gave
her the flu), and see the vet since respiratory problems can get dangerous
pretty fast for them at times.  During recovery steaming helps, too, and
provide tons of bedding to help during chills, and lots of fluid.  Watch
for dehydration; rehydration by vet may be needed; if it gets really bad
even IV might be necessary.
 
Steve and I are very glad to learn that more efforts may be made to get
to bottom of IBD and other problems.  Knowing a treatment for the symptoms
is certainly an important first step, but getting down to learning what
factors (diseases, genetics, etc.) might predispose a ferret to a certain
problem or even actually cause any disorder will eventually mean that
treatments will improve and perhaps prevention might become possible.
 
Steve and I are left with a question: are ferrets of all types of markings
having this problem in equal rates or are any groups possibly more
represented?  The reason I ask is because it's known from other species
that Waardensberg Syndrome can increase the tendency toward some intestinal
difficulties.  that leaves the question of whether it might play a role in
some ferrets' lower GI tract problems.
[Posted in FML issue 3289]