Hi New Mommy Joanne, and Everybody Else Too,
 
As far as the actual ins and outs of quarantining, I'm not an expert.
I advocate separating kits from the older group for a few weeks for the
several reasons I had mentioned in my post, but you bring up vaild
questions:
 
>Ok...here is my question...If you bring a kit home ..or any other ferret
>for that matter...how can you keep them completely quarantined?  From what
>I have read (still a new mommy) ADV can attach itself to clothing and
>skin.  So, wouldn't keeping a kit in a separate cage, in a separate part
>of the house, on separate litter and food and bedding still have a risk of
>spreading ADV?  You would have to shower and change and wash your clothing
>everytime that you touched the new kit.  Wouldn't you?  What about other
>animals like dogs and cats....wouldn't they spread it on their fur too?
 
It's certainly a possibility.  I know of shelter moms who have had kits
they had to take precisely these precautions with; but it's not the ideal
situation when you're looking to bring in a new kit into a home as a
permanent resident.  A quarantine for a new kits helps catch diseases if
they're evident, but as you probably know there can be lurking things that
don't show and the kit seems fine.  I don't know how easy it would be to
spread things on the fur of other animals; I wouldn't rule it out, but I
don't know the likelihood.  I am not sure if a kit can be checked for ECE
if they're not showing any symptoms.  I looked around on the web and
couldn't find the answer to that.
 
>What about if you go to get a ferret either at a store of from someone
>you take an ADV testing kit with you?  Would that work?
 
It'd work for ADV (although you can get false positives and false
negatives with some tests) but a kit can still carry ECE and seem fine.
I think there's also an exposure window for ADV (as there is with many
diseases) where the animal tests negative but actually has been exposed
and develops it in a few weeks or months (that's what I've read, could be
wrong, somebody correct me if it is).
 
>I recently added two new kits (right after Christmas) and while they have
>their own cage and stuff I didn't quarantine them in a separate room.
>Right or wrong, I just didn't.  Maybe I didn't really think that they
>would have any problems.  After hearing about the ADV reports...well yes,
>of course I am worried.  So, how to you keep them completely quarantined?
>Or am I wrong about how easily it spreads?
 
I never quarantined any of mine, because I didn't know.  And nothing
happened.  It's important to remember that people introduce kits into new
households every day with no problems.  A kit bringing disease into a new
household is not ALL too common at this point.  I have read conflicting
opinions on how easily and/or quickly ADV spreads, but I do not know
enough about it to even be repeating what I've read.  Wolfy listed a site
yesterday with good information, also I heard that there was extremely
good info shared at the symposium.  I'm anticipating that someone(s) will
share that as we contiune to discuss ADV on the list.  You could test your
2 new kits for ADV if you are concerned.  Shelters often HAVE to do
complete quarantine - the change of clothing, showering between handling
ferrets, etc.  Obviously not an ideal or fun situation, but that is a
COMPLETE quarantine.  I don't know if ferret experts or shelters would
recommend that others take quite that much precaution with a new kit.
 
I guess the bottom line is I don't have all the answers to the quarantine
questions...it's a step that REDUCES the risk if a kit is infected with
anything (which is not unheard-of obviously but I don't think it happens
REALLY frequently) as well as a way to teach a kit to use the litterbox
and eat properly out of a bowl, etc.  But it's not a sure-fire method.
 
I guess the only way to be completely at ease is to buy a kit from an
extremely reputable breeder who has lots of references and a colony that's
tested ADV- and has no ECE history or exposure...but private breeders of
that caliber are few and in some areas (like New England!) they are
nonexistant.
 
I think there are people on the list who know WAY more about this than
me...shelter moms as a rule have lots of experience with the quarantine
issue...so hopefully somebody will follow this up with more information.
 
-Heather in Massachusetts
[Posted in FML issue 3686]