Dear Sharin:
 
>He wanted me to ask you a question.  He wonders if anyone uses cortisone
>or Tilan powder in cases of ECE.  He says he has used both for cats &
>dogs with colitis, and thinks they could also be used with ECE (which he
>described as a virus-induced colitis), both to reduce inflammation &
>stimulate appetite.  He said he thought a shot of cortisone once a week
>til we are thru this might be a good idea.
 
You may want to have him review my page on ECE at
http://www.afip.org/ferrets
 
ECE is actually an enteritis, affecting the small intestine, rather than a
colitis (a disease affecting the large intestine.)
 
Prednisone is used in ferrets with chronic ill thrift about 4 weeks or
longer.  It is not a standard in ECE therapy except for the 20% of ferrets
that develop chronic weight loss - and does little good in acute disease.
I never recommend using it before a minimum of 4 weeks have elapsed.  And
if it is prescribed, the dosasge should be a daily oral dosage - I strongly
discourage the use of injectable steroids in ferrets due to the fact that
if there is an complication, you can't discontinue the dosage, as you can
with daily oral dosing.
 
Tylan, which is prescribed in dogs and cats with colitis, has been
anecdotally used in ferrets with ECE, but as the disease is not a
colitis, it really has little application in this situation.
 
with kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
[Posted in FML issue 3298]