FERRET-SEARCH@LISTSERV.FERRETMAILINGLIST.ORG
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Date: | Thu, 2 Jul 1998 18:10:27 -0400 |
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>He noticed a large amount of a bacteria in nico's stool--called it
>coxcidia (is that how you spell it?) gave them albon liq. solution for
>them. he thinks that is what it is...he has never seen coxcidia in
>fert. but but has in dogs and cats. says it looks very similar.
Coccidia isn't a bacterium, it's a protozoan parasite of the intestinal
system. All of our guys have had coccidia at one point and everything
I've read/heard says it's quite common in ferrets. Albon is the right
stuff to knock it out to normal levels.
>If it wasn't that he felt it was g..gg...something that you get from
>water. standing or well water..etc. says humans get it too. but that
>flagyl usually is excellent for that,
Giardia isn't that uncommon from such a source, but if your ferrets haven't
been exposed to anything like that, it's highly unlikely that this is the
problem. I'm pretty sure this is uncommon in ferrets. I know LOTS of
people who've had Coccidia-ferrets, but no one with a Giardia-ferret.
Flagyl is the best stuff to knock it out. The only drawbacks are that it
has a nasty metallic taste (which ferrets don't approve of), side effects
include diarrhea and cramping (the symptoms it's supposed to take care of,
right? :) ), and it's believed to be a carcinogen. Many people-doctors
won't perscribe it on this basis despite the fact that it's far and away
the best treatment.
I would be concerned that your vet couldn't tell Coccidia from Giardia in
a fecal sample. I'm pretty sure I could pick 'em out (after seeing both
examples in a Parasitology class I took).
-Erin...
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Mr. Erin M. Ennis | Any sufficiently convoluted argument can
eennis(at)zoo,uvm,edu | be made to appear to be science as the
Water Resources Major, | layman equates incomprehensibility with
Biology Minor | science. -Unknown
Uni. of Vermont |
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[Posted in FML issue 2358]
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