The week before Thanksgiving the FACT shelter took in six ferrets from
the Humane Society.  They took in another ferret found outside on
Thanksgiving.  Two days after Thanksgiving bloody diarrhea was discovered
all over the shelter room.  It was a little girl who was taken to the vet
immediately and put on i.v., but died over the weekend.  Mira was the
next victim of bloody diarrhea and taken to the vet immediately where she
stayed for two nights.  She began to eat normally after returning home.
To date, no other of the 20 ferrets in the shelter have been affected.
Vanessa of FACT surmises that it only attacks animals that have
compromised immune systems.  Both Mira and the little girl had recent
surgeries.  This is a severe life-threatening intestinal virus to those
animals that are already weak.  Whether this is some mutated strain of
human virus or a new ferret virus remains to be seen.
 
If anyone else has encountered this illness, please let us know.  Please
keep an eye out for any abnormal stools or lack of appetitie.  Quick
action seems to be the only cure.
 
--
Moxie and Nexus the moose, missing Chance
[Posted in FML issue 4001]