I forwarding the following story on to the readers of the FML to make them
aware that no matter where or who you are, there is always a chance you
might run into the dreaded ECE (the green virus).  I have been encouraged to
do so by a few folks that I have posted the story to individually, so if you
have seen it already, that explains why you are seeing it here as well.  I
want to thank BIG for allowing the space, as it is a bit lengthy.
 
Lorie Frezza, who wrote the story and asked me to pass it on to those on the
net, is one of the two people that I am aware of who do ferret rescue here
in the Mid South area (Memphis, TN).  It was from Lorie that we got our four
ferrets: Daisy, Luke, Bo, and Beauty.  And now due to the ECE invasion of
her shelter that I am fostering two more ferrets, Speedbump and Millhouse.
 
Please understand this is not MY story, but Lorie's.  If you belong to an
organization who might wish to use the story in your newsletter, she has
told me she encourages you to do so as you will note in her story's closing.
I will be happy to print out and pass on any comments you might have to her
since she does not have email.  You will note her phone number at the end of
the story if you want to speak with her directly.  Thanx...
 
Al
http://members.aol.com/AlGearhart/index.html
site rework due in early May
 
March 5, 1997
My encounter w/E.C.E.  (The Green Virus)
 
It all began one month ago yesterday, February 4, 1997.  When this virus
hit in my home, I had 21 ferrets.  Now, one month later, I have 20 ferrets,
having lost one to this dreadful virus.
 
I, unknowingly, brought an infected ferret into my home on January 12, 1997.
This sable ferret, male, 2 tattoos, approx. 1 year old, had been found in a
dumpster.  He was brought into The Animal Emergency Center on January 10th.
I was notified by a local veterinarian, Dr. Hannon, about the situation.
Being in rescue, I agreed to take him in to nurse him back to health.  He
was underweight, dehydrated, and had a mass inside which turned out to be
rubber that he passed several days later.
 
I kept him isolated from my other ferrets for 3 weeks.  Then I took him in
to my vet, Dr. Neil Utkov, for vaccinations and a check-up.  Up until then,
he was doing great.  He had put on a pound and hes stools were normal.
After his vaccination, he was kept isolated for another 3 days.
 
On Saturday, February 1st, I introduced him to my other ferrets.  All seemed
to be well.  Then on Feb. 4th, (5:30 p.m.), I came home to one sick ferret.
He was a 5 year old sable male.  He had vomited quite a bit and had diarrhea
that was gold with lots of mucous.
 
I put in a call to my vet and to Dr. Ralph Pope.  I was told to administer
Pepto Bismol, Amox.  Drops(.25), and sugar water.  We started off with =BD=
cc's of Pepto and went to 2 cc's after several hours.  At 5:30 a.m. (exactly
12 hours later), the green diarrhea began.
 
I prayed.
 
By the next evening, 19 of the 21 ferrets were vomiting and had the greenish
diarrhea I had ever seen!  I phoned Dr. Ralph Pope since I knew he made
house calls.  He arrived about 8:45 p.m. and examined the ferrets.  His
diagnosis _is_ The Green Virus!
 
I prayed again.
 
We immediately started the following medication:
 
.2 Reglan (BID)
2 cc's of Pepto Bismol (BID)
.25 Amox. Drops (BID)
 
I began separating the ferrets 2 to a cage to monitor food and water intake
and diarrhea.
 
I called Pam Grant the next day.  She sent some wonderful information to me
concerning this virus.
 
WEEK ONE
Week one was horrible!  The diarrhea just wouldn't seem to go away.  Most
had lost a lot of weight and would not eat or drink.  They were very
lethargic.  The vomiting stopped after the first 2 days but I continued to
give the Reglan for 1 week just to be safe.
 
The Duck Soup Gruel was NOT a hit.  No one would eat it.  I tried A/D mixed
with warm water.  Some success.  I tried chicken baby food.  Some success.
Of course, all this food had to be forced down them.  I added Pedilyte to
their water bowls and also to the baby food.
 
Toward the end of the week, I was seeing 'the seeds' in some of their stools
but most still had green diarrhea.
 
I was praying all the time.
 
WEEK TWO
Week two was not much better.  We switched from Amox.  Drops to Flagyl mixed
with Cherry Syrup.  They hated that!  The diarrhea was still there and still
no one wanted to eat much.  I was constantly changing litterboxes, forcing
medication down them along with whatever food I could get them to eat.
 
Then ferret number 20 came down with it.  This one had not been exposed to
the initial infected ferret or the other ones except for being in the same
room with them.  This made think it had to be airborne.  Fortunately, he
only had the green diarrhea for 2 days but I began medicating him along with
the rest.
 
I continued to pray ...
 
WEEK THREE
Week three, I was pulling my hair out.  I began force feeding the Duck soup
Gruel to them in the amount of 40-50 cc's daily.  My vet called Dr. Barrios
and spoke with him.  He reassured us we were doing everything we could.
Just continue the meds and supportive therapy.  He suggested we discontinue
the Pepto Bismol and go with the following:
 
Amox. Drops .2 (BID)
Carafate .5 (BID)
Pepcid AC .2 (BID)
 
We mixed all three together in one syringe.  This was so much easier to
give.  I didn't have to fight them so much.  They were also taking the Duck
Soup much better 3 weeks down the road.  A few were beginning to eat on
their own and their stools looked better.
 
(I began IV fluids which I wish I had started form the beginning but they
weren't really dehydrated because of the fluids I was forcing down them.
However, the extra fluids seemed to help tremendously.)
 
However, on Feb.  21st, one of my females, 4 yrs old, who had 8 months
earlier undergone adreanal gland surgery, began to fail..  (She had her left
adrenal gland removed but had one on her right gland as well).
 
She would not eat or take the meds that day.  Her body was shutting down.  I
knew I was losing her.  It didn't make any sense to me.  She had done fairly
well from the beginning.  Never dropped any weight.  Remained 1.5 til the
end.  Her stools were the first to look almost normal and she had been
eating well.  When I put her back in her cage at 11:00p.m., I knew I
wouldn't see her alive again.  I was right.  I found her the next morning at
5:30 a.m.  She had just died.
 
That Saturday afternoon, on of my male ferrets who had weighed 3.1 was now
down to 2.0 and he began passing blood.  His eyes were matted together and
he couldn't even walk.
 
I was praying all the time...
 
My vet had suggested earlier to give one of them a drug used for Leukemia
positive cats -- Interferon.  I thought, well now is the time to try this!
I gave .5 that night and began IV fluids.  I never expected to see him alive
the next morning.  Well, guess what, he was still there.  I continued giving
the Interferon BID and the IV fluids on that Sunday and again on Monday.
Monday night, he walked out of his cage!!!  Before, I began the Interferon,
he would usually vomit up some of the food I was giving him even with the
Reglan.  After I started the Interferon, he never again vomited or passedany
blood.
 
I started the Interferon on 3 more that were not doing so great.  In just a
few days, they were making rapid recoveries.  They seemed more alert and had
more energy.  After several days, they began eating on their own.  I don't
know if the Interferon would have worked that rapidly in the first week but
I think this drug is definitely worth looking into.  I gave it BID for 7
days.
 
(To be truthful, my vet had suggested using Interferon on the 1st infected
ferret and I did for about 3 days in week 2 but failed to continue to give
it because I misplaced the bottle for a few days and then forgot to give it.
It needs to be given 7 days in a row.)
 
WEEK FOUR
Week four seemed to be the turning point.  Everyone was eating on their own
but I am still force feeding 4 of them because of the massive weight loss.
I stopped medication 16 of them beginnin with week four.  Their stools are
90 back to normal and the weight is being put back on slowly.  They are so
much mor active and playful.
 
The only ferret that never showed any signs is my 5 month old sable male.
He reained untouched by this whole incident.  I am grateful for that!!
 
I thanked God for bringing them, me, and my husband through this!
 
This has been the most devastating thing I have ever been through with any
of my nimals.  I still don't know how I got through this.  I would be mor
than willing to give advic, listen, or help anyone going through this.
Until you have battled this virus, you have now idea how intense it can be.
 
With the help of Dr. Neil Utkov, Dr. Ralph Pope, Pam Grant, Meg Carpenter,
and most of all God, I don't know how I could have survived it!.  There were
dys I honestly didn't think I could medicated, clean, feed or cry anymore.
 
March 28, 1997
It is now almost 2 months later.  All is pretty much back to normal..  I am
still seeing some greenish and loose stools from time to time but for the
most part, everything is fine.  Their appetites have returned and so have
their spirits.  I loved them before but now we have a much more special bond.
 
Oh, by the way, the 5 month old that never showed any signs, I put him in
with 3 more that had the virus and he has yet to show any signs.
 
I hope you will print my story, (I know it's long) but I think it could help
or at least give hope to someone going through this.  Sometimes I just
needed someone to listen to me and/or give me a shoulder to lean on.  I just
needed to know that everything I was facing was normal and that I could
bring them through this.
 
To see them playing now and recovering is the them most special gift of all.
 
Lorie Frezza
901-794-3035
 
Dr. Neil Utkov
Pet Health Center
901-382-0330
 
Dr. Ralph Pope
Pope's Animal Clinic
901-365-1979
[Posted in FML issue 1921]