I read the FML religiously, but perhaps I missed this... has anyone else
noticed a definite increase in the number of reports of diarrhea in
established ferrets after bringing a new MF kit home?
 
I've gotten my third call/email in as many weeks for help on diarrhea.  Vets
can never find anything and throw the usual course of antibiotics at the
sick ferrets.
 
My first question is usually, "Have you brought a new ferret into the house
recently" and in every case, it's been "Yes, we just got a baby from the pet
store [two or three days ago]."  And, they are MF babies or at least have
the two blue/black dots in the ear.  Except for the last one, which was just
this morning, they are confirmed (symptomatically) cases of ECE.  The babies
are always fine, of course.
 
There are additional cases of the same sequence of events that I have heard
of from our shelter operator, but the details are not known to me.
 
I don't want to implicate MF, but it sure sounds like they could be the
source... or their distributor(s).  The odds of someone carrying the ECE
virus into pet shops all around the state are slim to none I would think.
 
For the ferrets,
Mike
 
* Michael F. Janke, [log in to unmask]
* Secretary, South Florida Ferret Club and Rescue, Inc.
*
* Visit our web site: http://www.miamiferret.org
[Posted in FML issue 2336]