FERRET-SEARCH@LISTSERV.FERRETMAILINGLIST.ORG
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Date: | Wed, 5 Jul 1995 07:04:18 -0500 |
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Bill and Diane Killian (and Rudy):
I feel terrible about what has happened to Rudy's babies. Yes, it is a
horrible and devastating situation to be in.
I'd like to comment on something you said, Bill. I bought a ferret from
a MD last summer. Stupid me never asked about the greenies. I should
have known better going thru what I had the previous year, but I erroneously
assumed that a good breeder would also INFORM.
Well, about a month after I got her, I had another greenie outbreak. Since
my guys were isolated and at the time no-one with previous greenies was
coming into my house, I thought it might be the new ferret. I called the
breeder and asked about the greenies and she told me this ferret had been
"exposed" to the greenies but didn't have them. So, was this ferret a
carrier? She didn't get the greenies at the time, but then she was a kit
and kits seem to have some sort of built-in immunity. It took almost a
month for my guys to get sick again, which is longer than the usual 36 to
48 hours - although 36 seems to be right on the money, but is it possible
the delay was due to my guys having had ECE the year before? I don't know.
Periodically, I've had people in my house who have ferrets with previous
ECE. In instances where I have let this person handle my ferrets, I
have a mild outbreak a few days after the visits. Nothing like the past
2 years, but definitely there.
Now it's happened again. I have never mentioned it to this person because
I did not want to cause hard feelings and I wasn't really sure. But it
has happened too many times for this to be just a "coincidence" So what
do I do? Ban this person from my house and lose a friend? Tell her she
can come over but can't touch my ferrets? Her outbreaks have been mild,
so she has a tendency to blow off this disease as an inconveneince rather
than a serious illness.
I have decided to curtail breeding practices for the time being. Maybe
it's a blessing that my jills haven't come into season yet this year. I
feel like I have to start all over again with my isolation period since
I apparently have ECE again, mild as it is.
Dick Bossart raised some really good questions. I wish I had answers.
How do you regular ferret people feel about this - those of you not involved
with breeding/clubs/shelters? Do you want to risk to find out if your
ferret falls in the 95% category of mild symptoms or the 5% category of
severe symptoms and death?
Our Shelter Director is scared to death.....her household is free of diseae
and her 6 ferrets are all healthy. She would just flip if a shelter ferret
brought ECE into her house.....does anybody else have thoughts on this?
Debbie Riccio
WNYFLFA
Rochester, NY
[Posted in FML issue 1246]
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