>I read your column in the FML the other day and saw your comment about 95%
>of ferrets having helicobacter.  I was alarmed.  Am I to assume my two
>ferrets have this infection.  Should I be taking them to my vet for
>medication?  Is this some kind of bacteria that lives compatibly in the guts
 
Lynn:
 
In answer to your first question: yes, you should assume your ferrets have
this infection.  Random source tests have shown in two studies, that 46/48
and 26/27 animals have the infection.  However, only a small percentage only
show signs of the disease (answer to question #2).  I see signs of
Helicobacter infection routinely in stomachs of ferrets over 3-4 years of
age.
 
Why some animals show clinical signs (inappetence, periodic loose stools,
rare vomiting, weight loss - the true "ain't doing right" ferret) and some
don't is a mystery.  Probably less than 10% ever show clinical signs.  In
many cases, Helicobcter may be associated with gastric ulcers in ferrets,
but ferrets can develop ulcers on their own in times of stress.
 
I only recommend treating symptomatic (sick) ferrets for Helicobacter.  It
is a treatment that is prolonged (six weeks), ferrets hate 2 of three
medicines (Flagyl and PeptoBismol) involved in the treatment, and it is very
prone to relapses or resistance.
 
If your five year old ferrets are acting fine, don't even worry about
Helicobacter.  Dont forget about it, but don't worry about it....
 
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP              Chief Pathologist, AccuPath
Dept. of Veterinary Pathology               [log in to unmask]
Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1695]