Subject:                              Time:  9:03 AM
  OFFICE MEMO         Green Slime disease/Behavior Mod.     Date:  10/24/94
Two part comment:
 
 1)  Our Wuzzy came down with the Green Slime disease (very mucousy greenish
putrid-smelling stools, loss of appetite, moderate/severe dehydration, lethargy,
etc.) about 4 weeks ago.  After the first week, Carla and I took her to the vet,
where she was rehydrated subcutaneously and we were given amoxycillin for her.
    After 4 or 5 days, we discontinued the amoxycillin as it only seemed to
exacerbate her diarrhea, even with 1cc of Kaopectate 2-3x daily, and her
dehydration continued to be a problem.  We didn't go the Sustical or Ensure
route, but only because we didn't think of it.  The duck soup probably also
would have been a good idea.  After discontinuing the amoxicillin, we continued
the Kaopectate, and every 2 or 3 days, I would pause in the Kaopectate
administration to see if her watery/mucousy stools would return, which they did.
 
   We took her in to the vet's a second time about 10 days after the first time,
to have her rehydrated again (boy, she just loves having that turkey baster
needle stuck into her skin -- we didn't know our baby knew some of those words).
 
   It has taken about four weeks, but for the last four days now she is off the
Kaopectate, eating like an adolescent, producing large numbers of what appear to
 be completely normal stools (it's amazing when your ferret is very ill what a
happy event a normal stool is - "Honey!  Wuzzy made a great B.M.!  Yay!"  Sounds
of celebration, etc. etc.) and has rejoined the world of the cracker ferret.
She appears to have completely recovered from what has been for us (and, no
doubt, many of you with your guys and gals) a very scary bout of sickness, and
is back to her old ways, abusing Petey the one-eyed cat (always sneaks up on
Petey's blind side), towing baggies full of children's toys under the bureaus,
and vut-vut-ing delightfully (and delightedly).
   Thank God.
 
   Josef & Claire:
    On Peaches' behavioral issues, we once had a ferret named Peaches who  had
major biting problems.  I think it's the name.
    Seriously, the only sure-fire method we have found that has worked on
ferrets we have lived with who have had biting issues (and we have tried all of
your described methods) is, upon being bitten, to say loudly and to said
perpetrator's face "No!" and then immediately deprive ferret of said ferret's
freedom.  Back to the cage, in you go.  At least twenty minutes in the pen
("timeout").  My wife does therapeutic work with infants and young children
(and, it appears, with young ferrets!), and this was her idea.  Darn if it don't
work.  Works on the kids, too (in the cage for 20 minutes :-)!
 
   Best of luck,
 
    Stu, Carla, Wuzzy the newly healthy ferret, Petey the one-eyed cat and Celia
the vocal.
[Posted in FML issue 0992]