A vet on the Mystery Illnesses A List has asked that any new ferrets
breaking with the mystery Illness(es?) have parvo tests just in case there
might be a mutant of parvo which now attacks ferrets, just as 20 years ago
it mutated and attacked dogs.  She notes that this is highly unlikely, BTW.
Of course, given the severity of Parvo and the wide background in it, it
would be a good one to either eliminate or verify up front.  You can't miss
this (these?) thing(s?); though not appearing so far to be highly
contagious high numbers which get it (them?) die.  Some cases involved
severe diarrhea, some pudding stools, some had kidney damage which the
attending vets considered secondary, some had severe damage/destruction of
stomach and or liver.  Dehydration and wasting are the norm for each
reported to me.  The most noticeable common denominator is that they get
severe mouth/GI tract sores/lesions which may bleed easily and profusely.
In one post mortem the vet also checked the throat and found that full of
lesions.  TO DATE THERE HAVE BEEN VERY FEW CASES so it is ESSENTIAL that
you hear about this question early in case you or your vet run into
anything similar.  It is also asked if histopathology was done on any of
the GI tracts of the ferrets which died, and what was found, and if parvo
was considered in the testing.
 
If you have a case like this LET ME KNOW WHERE YOU ARE LOCATED.  We are
trying to track the spread of this (these?).
 
Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 2421]