To the FML concerning the recent loss of Jill's ferret kit and current
sickness of one of her other three:
 
        Just to keep jou posted, I called Jill in N.H. on Sunday when I received
her urgent plea for help, and I have since talked with her vet.  The ferret kit
was posted at the pet sotre and tissues were sent to a locla lab.  As it seems
the pet store uses a lab that has a human pathologist reading animal tissues, we
are attempting to get copies of the slides or tissues to evaluate.
 
        We are currently treating all of the ferrets for coccidiosis ( a leading
cause of diarrhea in pet store ferrets) as well as rehydrating them with fluids
as needed.  They are also on some broad-spectrum antibiotics.
 
        The tissues of the dead ferret are probably the best lead we have to
what may be going on here.
 
        Jill:  There is a trick to giving fluids.  You can just put them down
the back of the throat, or they will inhale them.  Take a dropper and pull out
the corner of one side of the mouth, so that it forms a little pouch.  PUt the
end of the dropper in that and slowly squeeze, so that you can see them
swallowing.  Never force fluids when they are resisting.  You can do more damage
than good.
 
       Bruce Williams, DVM                 Department of Veterinary Pathology
       [log in to unmask]         Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
       (202) 782-2600/2602                 Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
[Posted in FML issue 1106]