To Jforeit concerning bladder infections:
 
 
<well, folks, Beaker went to the vet on Saturday, amid much rain and brouhaha...
<turns out the little monster has a bladder infection (i'd noticed they'd soaked
<the litterbox in two days -- a highly unusual occurrence), and is now on
<amoxycillin... can anyone tell me how likely it is that this will recur, and if
<there's anything i can do about it?  other than her insatiable thirst, she
<seemed fine...
 
          Well, if you stop the amoxicillin in less than two weeks, you run the
risk of not eradication the infection.  Bladder infections apparently have the
ability to ascend to the kidney more easily in ferrets than other species, aand
a kidney infection is often fatal in ferrets, as clinical signs are not seen
unitl the infection is in its last stages.  My sugestion would be 3 week course
of amoxicillin.
 
        As far as prevention, access to drinking water and scrupulous cleaning
of the litter daily will help.  Many bladder infections are caused by E. coli, a
bacteria found in feces.  Some others are caused by Staphyloccoccus, which is
omnipresent in nature, and you can't do anything it.  But you can desxcrease the
sources of E. coli in your pets environment.
 
        And make sure your vet repeats the urinalysis at weekly intervals until
the antibiotics are discontinued.
       Bruce Williams, DVM                 Department of Veterinary Pathology
       [log in to unmask]         Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
       (202) 576-2453/2454                 Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
 
[Posted in FML issue 0824]