Hi List,
 
I'm new and have a very sick fert :-(  I've written to Dr. Williams, but
while I wait for e reply, was wondering if any out there have advise?
 
Whitey is a two year old altered male ferret.  He has always been
normally healthy and active, although on the thin side.  Three weeks ago
I noticed some greenish, mucousy stool in the kennel.  Being as I have
four ferrets, I didn't know which ferret wasn't feeling well.  The next
day I found Whitey semi-consciencous with nasal discharge and slimey dark
green diarrhea running from him.  I immediately took him to the local
animal hospital where he was admitted.
 
Initial complete blood count was normal, however a chemistry panel showed
increased ALT.  Whole body xrays showed an enlarged liver.  Parasites
were ruled out with a fecal exam.  He was put on IV fluids and monitored
for three days.  On discharge he had lost I would guess at least 50% of
his body weight, he has no muscle mass.  He was discharged with a
presumptive diagnosis of ECE, and prescriptions for a five day course
of Amoxicillan (0.3 mL twice a day) and Flagyl (0.2 mL twice a day).  His
liver had returned to normal size and his ALT had decreased to normal
range.
 
For two weeks I've been syringe feeding him liquified boiled chicken
with Marshalls kibble pulverized in it.  I feed him four times per day,
a minimum of 20cc's per feeding.
 
His greenish, watery stools continued for almost a week after discharge,
then turned black & tarry.  I treated this with two days of Pepcid AC.
When the stools turned green and brownish but were still mucousy, I gave
him one dose of Immodium AD.  He continued to move his bowels but the
color gradually changed from greenish to brown, seedy in texture to very
soft but formed, sometimes frothy.
 
His appetite is good and he drinks water fine, but he gets exhausted
extremely easily.  He sleeps 99% of the time and doesn't appear to have
gained any muscle back, his entire rib cage, backbone and pelvis are
evident.  His hind quarters he can barely move, he drags himself around
with his front legs.
 
When I took him to the hospital he had nasal discharge from his left
nostril, it was clear.  He still has clear nasal discharge which
alternates between his nostrils.  His left eye has a watery and
sometimes white mucousy discharge.  I don't see any pink to indicate
conjunctivitus.  He is not sneezing or coughing.
 
I have noticed in the past week that his heart rate seems extremely
fast, faster than that of my healthy ferts.  His respiration also seems
irregulary fast, almost like he is panting with his mouth closed.  I
have also noticed that his rib cage, (where the human breast bone would
be) is pushing outward as if an organ behind it was protruding.  He's
very 'barrel chested' now.  He has lumps in his intestines that differ in
size, most likely with when he had his last BM, but are always present.
I don't know if I'm just noticing these lumps & bumps because he's so
thin, or if something is really wrong.
 
I'm about at wits end, I don't know what to do for him.  $900.00 of a
hospital stay and I still have a very weak and sick ferret.  I understand
that ECE can take its toll and recouperation can takes months, (I'll do
whatever it takes) but are these symptoms that he still has normal?
Every vet I've spoken to, each web page I search out gives me different
answers.  No one here in Rhode Island seems to know what to do.  Am I
doing everything right or wrong?  Am I prolonging his misery?  He's on
no medication now and each day he does appear more alert and his eyes
are bright.  Will he make it through, is this unusual?  My other three
ferts are fat and happy, no signs of disease.  Was this truly ECE then?
 
Any advice, suggestions, anything to calm my nerves would be appreciated!
 
Thanks,
Leslie
[Posted in FML issue 4690]