Please, note that we still do not know if the abberations people are seeing
are one disease or multiple diseases, nor do we know if the what is being
seen is something new, something known but rarely looked for, something
which has modified (such as by not being as easily diagnosed, or by not
being a easily treated with the usual meds, or by increasing its host
options).  THE ONLY WAY WE ARE GOING TO GET ANSWERS IS IF PEOPLE DO THE
NECROPSIES AND PATHOLOGY WORK NEEDED!!!!!!!  That is what will save ferret
lives in the long run.  If you have a very suspicious case which fits the
umbrella me know and I'll get the pathologist (top-notch ferret-specialist
who is right now overworked, short on time, and requested some privacy) in
touch with your vet; include symptoms, particulars about the ferret (age,
gender, brief medical history), and your vets' name, location, phone number
and preferably e-mail if it exists.  If pathology has been done by another,
please, find out by whom in case slides can be shared.  PLEASE, FOLKS!!!!
PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE!!!!!  The answers needed to save ferrets' lives
can't be gotten if the testing isn't done!!!!!  (BTW, since some of what
folks are seeing is so dangerous -- one shelter was reported as having lost
15 in week -- that there has so far been one gathering instructed by their
consulting vet to not have ferrets present because that locale has been
hard hit by disease(s?) recently.)
 
One pathology report has come back as being coccidea.  Sometimes this
disease is hard to diagnose, sometimes not from what I've been told.
Coccidea is one excellent reason to have any new additions to your families
receive fecal tests by vets BEFORE you put everyone together (in addition
to getting a check-up, scheduling the shots, and having the teeth checked
since teething problems hurt both the ferret and you -- since they try to
gnaw away the pain).  Otherwise, rather than treat only one, you have to
treat all of them and you risk losing them to a disease which might have
been prevented had it been found and treated.
[Posted in FML issue 2434]