Nell, you NEED to get those ferrets to the veterinary school, and you
NEED to have them tested for the diseases found in members of Carnivora
in that part of Africa. And if they get lost in trying to figure it out
then those profs need to communicate with vet school profs in South
Africa, Egypt, and Israel -- all of which have had pet ferrets in their
nations in the recent past or currently have (SA banned them in recent
years.). What works for diseases in other continents (not Africa) is
highly unlikely to be what you need there.

I was studying for a future in primatology when my health caused me to
have to cut my education short. I didn't work in Africa or Asia (though
had a chance to work in Africa it would have required postponing our
wedding, but I did work in the Amazon Basin of South America). I
certainly worked with animals brought from Africa and Asia as well as
South America. There were times when tropical disease specialists had
to be involved in the health care for several of us because as good as
the other experts were, many tropical diseases ARE vastly different
from the diseases people are used to in North America or Europe.

You know that flying by the seat of your pants and getting advice from
these other continents so far hasn't saved any of your ferrets. In
just months you are down to two survivors, both of whom are ill.

You NEED veterinary experts who know the diseases of WHERE YOU ARE
(Africa) and they need to consult with veterinary profs in other
African countries where ferrets have been seen a bit more.

If you are going to get advice in the Americas or Europe then what
you need to do is to specifically find ZOOLOGICAL PARK veterinary
pathologists.

To all appearances, the potential disease exposures for ferrets there
and the lack of sufficient veterinary testing and care are such that
it is not a safe place to have pet ferrets, now or in the near future.

There IS one animal for whom a lot of improvement in veterinary care
has happened in Ethiopia according to vet sites, and that is the goat.
Although many people don't know it, goats can have absolutely darling
temperaments. You may want to consider a nanny goat in your future to
find how well you bond rather than thinking of bringing in species
that have too much vulnerability there.

I am sorry to be so frank about this, but since what you have been
doing hasn't worked but the other options haven't been done though
they have been discussed, I am honestly feeling quite frustrated.

Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html

[Posted in FML 5999]