[Moderator's note: Thanks to the miracle of electronics, Dr. Williams
answered this note before he even got it.  See his answers toward the
end of this issue.  (Kind of like cheating, isn't it?)  BIG]
 
Timing, timing - Potpie got ECE from a friend's ferret, and im pretty
insecure that im not doing things right. Please respond with personal
email - i dont want to rile things, i just want reassurance and advice. :/
 
She came down with it last friday. Question #1: how long is the run of the
virus?
 
She first had green slimy stool, then tan grainy stool, and has had one
green slimy stool since then. I've been feeding her chicken gerber's with
crushed iam's kitten, and giving her as many cc's of pedialyte every
hour/few hours as she'll stand. She doesnt seem to be dehydrated. Question
#2: Am i missing anything?  She eats and drinks some of the food & water
in her cage, but if i dont notice any change in those levels for a while i
feed her. For a while you could feel her spine - she's only 1 lb - but she
seems to be putting on a bit of the weight she lost. When will she get
that weight back?
 
Question #3: Dr. Daldin gave me a drug called 'Pectin' for diarrhea. It
being a virus and all, is there anything else Potpie needs for recovery?
She .5cc's of Pectin every 8 hrs, but she's still got the diarrhea.
 
I'd feel much better if i could get some responses because although Potpie
seems active and alert (she's been sleeping lots tho) i dont want to do
anything wrong and chance losing her.  I'd like to thank Debbie Riccio for
being available late on a saturday night to give care tips and advice...
 
On a brighter note, the new guy (Noodle) is growing at some insane rate of
speed - he's got elephant-sized feet, ears, and nose. He's already (at 11
wks) exceeded the dainty Potpie in girth and bone size, although not
length. Potpie looks willowy and fragile next to the heavily ruffed and
stocky Noodle...Noodle finally learned how to do the ferret war dance,
although he's still on par with Maggie from the Simpsons...
*shuffle*WHUMP*danceshuffle*WHUMP*
 
Entertainingly enough, Potpie will let me scruff and dose her, but not
my boyfriend.  He gets the 'youre not MOM, you cant do this to me'
expression.  Teehee.
 
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    Melissa Litwicki                                    [log in to unmask]
    Radio Controlled Operation In Vivid Six Ways Of Movement With Reality!
[Posted in FML issue 1252]