Dear X:
 
There is a lot of information here - I'll try to post my comments after
each individual ferret.  However, also realize that most on this list (of
which you are now a member) realize that real blood values are of greater
help for trying to unravel such mysteries, than just the mention that
these tests were done.
 
I think one thing bears mentioning right off - bleeding from the rectum
is generally a relatively non-specific sign of shock - and is often seen
in animals on the brink of passing.  The question here is what caused the
shock.  The fact that all of the animals exhibited shock prior to death
does not really constitute a pattern.
 
>ferrets, all exposed to ECE at one time or another.  Household took in 2
>new shelter ferrets from a different shelter than the others definately
>ECE exposed before coming to the house - these two went to the hospital
>almost immediately for nausea, vomiting, lack of appetite, lethargy...
>stayed at hospital for 2 days, received sub-q fluids and supportive
>care... worth - and this might be important, Mom & Dad had severe flu
>for a couple of days in this timeframe of when ferret #1 became ill.
 
OK, we'll take it on face value that these animals had ECE, and we know
that symptoms and long term sequelae of this disease are generally more
severe in older animals.
 
>Ferret #1 - 6 mos after arrival of 2 newcomers - loss of appetite, rapid
>weight loss, diarreha, dehydration.
 
OK - first item - no tissues taken for pathology.  This should be the
first move in any unexpected death.  Again, you don't mention what
abnormalities were seen on bloodwork.
 
Amoxi and Pred appear to be a shotgun approach to an unspecified illness -
however, the dosage of pred is very low and likely not of a level that it
would really touch any inflammation in the bowel.  The history of 6 months
post ECE put it into the chronic wasting syndrome associated with about
20% of ECE cases - some people would call this inflammatory bowel disease.
 
The bruising suggests the possibility of clotting abnormalities - but
there is no mention of platelet counts in this case.  In dogs and cats,
thrombocytopenia or other forms of immune-mediated disease may occur
concurrently with IBD, as a result of systemic immune dysfunction.  (I
am not saying that this occurs in ferrets, but it is an intriguing
possibility, especially in light of the numbers of cases of hemolytic
anemia and throbocytopenias which are now being recorded in ferrets.
 
>Ferret #2 - loss of appetite, rapid weight loss, diarreha,
>dehydration, vomitting.
 
Again, no record of tissues taken, or even a gross necropsy.  While I
think that this could certainly represent chronic sequelae of ECE, if the
gut is not examined by a pathologist, you'll never be able to prove it.
[Posted in FML issue 3664]