It may be that reading about Clara, Beeker, and Chiclet in
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org
and
http://listserv.cuny.edu/archives/ferret-search.html
will help people understand the ferret presentation in the "mystery
disease".  As Dr. Williams said, the fevers are VERY high -- over 104'.
Chiclet often went over 105' in her spikes.  She had the sepsis, and
also had the cellulitis which was seen in a few of these.
 
If you think you have one who fits: after tissue samples are taken
(Samples NEED to be taken before treatment has begun.), it may pay to
show your vet a copy of the article on vasodilatory shock in the February
2004 issue of "Scientific American".  I can't help but wonder if perhaps
using vasopressin in conjunction with her other meds at a critical point
might have been useful, but as far as I can find no one has tried that
med in a ferret.  It has proven useful in cases of septic shock in humans
for raising the blood pressure when standard means can't keep it in high
enough range to avoid organ damage but even in humans it is not in wide
use.
 
If you are wondering what this discussion is all about then your single
best bet is to read the post from Dr. Bruce Williams in FML 27 Jan 2004
to 29 Jan 2004 (#2004-4406) using the SEND FERRET feature in the header
of every day's FML (replacing nnnn with 4406 in this case and sending to
<[log in to unmask]>).
 
Fluids: if you are worried then review your procedure with your vet.
Vets and their techs are the people who best understand this procedure
and how to do it safely so going over it with those medical experts
never hurts, might help, and is very likely to reassure.
 
Yes, they get Salmonella though the route is usually a different one than
your's.  See the following segments by several ferret vets:
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=SG6619
>A. Tuberculosis: The ferret appears to be highly susceptible to
>starins of Mycobacterium avain, bovine, and human.  They can be
>infected through unpasteurized milk, raw poultry, and raw meat.
>Chicken offal could be a source of infection.  Yes, this is a
>zoonotic disease.
>
>B. Salmonella: Salmonella is very common in chickens.  In a Canadian
>Vet Journal there was a study testing BARF diets for Salmonella.  80%
>of the food samples were positive, and 30% of the dogs on the Barf
>diet had positive salmonella fecal samples.  Yes, this a zoonotic
>disease.
>
>C. E. coli is also very common in chickens.
>This is also a zoonotic disease.
 
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=SG2281
>Well, raw eggs can transmit salmonella, but that's pretty rare
>(make sure the shell is clean) and if it is all he'll eat, it is a
>good source of protein.  Let's do it.
 
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG9058
>My biggest concern feeding raw anything is disease.  Salmonella is
>just nasty.  I prefer to recommend cooked egg, as opposed to raw.  A
>small amount of hard boiled or scrambled egg weekly should be just
>fine.
[Posted in FML issue 4407]