>It may be true that ECE has gotten into a pet store in Maryland. Could
>have been from some body who came into the store and bought some pet food.
>Could have come in on the person who filed this report on the FML. She
>does admit she has ECE in her house.
The ferrets that came to the MD pet shop were never out front on display to
be handled by the public, and the manager of the shop has never been exposed
to ECE in her private pets. These ferrets CAME infected. Period. Plus, I
have never been to this pet shop (though I have had the pleasure of the
Manager's visit at my home over a year ago).
>Regardless exposing your ferrets to a potentially fatal disease is not
>the right answer. I will not expose my human children to diseases such
>as herpes and AIDS because they to will not be going away anytime soon.
But, you do expose your children to chicken pox and the mumps, and like
these "childhood" VIRUSES, ECE is MUCH easier to get over and develop an
imunity to as a child/kit than as an adult. My "exposure" recommendations
stated that. Kits under 4 moths have ECE for about 3 days, and they don't
seem to stop eating. Under a year, and the kits are ill for a week, and
might have to be encouraged to eat some. ECE takes 2-14 days to show up,
and 2-8 weeks to go away in older ferrets.
I have had my personal ferrets live long and healthy after recovery from
ECE. Every kit born in this house since1993 has never come down with ECE,
dispite it breaking out here every so often, because they have the immunity
built in. And, hard as it is to believe for some, I have kept ECE from
contaminating EVERY ferret coming into my shelter. I have an ECE FREE area.
ECE is spread by contact, not air. If I can keep ferrets from catching it
in my house, you can be d@#$ sure I'm not taking it out with me to pet shops
and other people's homes. I don't think Dr. Williams would allow me to have
dinner in his home if he thought I would bring ECE in with me.
>I will likewise not expose my ferrets to ECE
Since you already had ECE several years ago, you should not have to worry
about it unless you bring in OLDER ferrets. I have had ferrets come back to
my shelter 2 years after being adopted and they did not recatch the virus.
The immunity held.
>Then it appears to me the answer is to raise the funds and start work on
>this. Maybe LIFE and STAR* will volunteer, they claim to be such large
>ferret organizations so I think they would be a logical choice. I would
>endorse and support them in this goal.
What about AFA and NAFA - are they too not "large" organizations? Don't
you, and others, have memberships to these? I have been asked by some to
help set up a fund for ECE, but if you talked to Dr. Williams, you will know
that if he couldn't get the ECE virus cultured with all the techniques at
his disposal, plus some methods of obtaining fresh samples of afflicted
ferrets, you will know that I, of anyone, have tried everything in my power
to help cure this nasty, irritating disease. It is NOT a killer disease, it
is a virus, similar to many things we expose our children to all the time so
they won't suffer as adults. A vaccine is just not out there, especially
when the rabies shed study is so much more important. Contribute to that
with your dollars.
5% of the ferrets exposed to ECE will die - they are usually older animals
with some sort of predisposition of another illness which would of killed
them anyway. I have 150 ferrets pass through my house each year. In 1993,
I lost 26 ferrets (17%) because I did not know what I was up against. In
1994 and 1995 I lost 3 ferrets to ECE related issues each year (2%). This
year, I have lost 1 ferret, and I'm not sure it was due to ECE. Everyone
reading this posting has the benifit of my experiences, as well as many
other people, who have dealt with ECE on a large basis. I have even taken
in people's ferrets with ECE and helped heal a few, with my own time and
energy. With the exception of sub q fluids, vets are helpless to combat
this virus. It takes the owner's determination and dedication to see that
the ferret eats and gets fluids.
Now, as to the title of my posting ... If you have ECE, or wish to get it
over with by exposing your younger ferrets, or just want info ... READ THE
FAQ FIRST. Second, if you want someone to hold your hand or just to
reassure you - CALL ME (703)354-5073 [evenings between 7 & 9 pm EAST coast
time]. Third, if you are in the DC area, and want to ask me to look a
ferret over for you to make certain a call to a vet is needed, I'd be glad
to GIVE YOU MY OPINION [I am not a vet, I can not make diagnosis or dispense
drugs, though I can give fluids]. This third offer only goes for if I am
home or the problem is not life threatening.
Pam Grant
The Ferrets of Pet Pals adoption service - ferrets looking for new homes!
STAR* Ferrets - newsletter subscription service and networking for ferrets.
[Posted in FML issue 1631]
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