Received some very useful information from Scott Perkins at Cornell which
he has said I could pass on:
 
>Sukie,
>
>Feel free to pass on my comments from several of your recent e-mails...
>
>Many of the sulfonamides, including Albon and sulfamethazine, are reported
>to be effective against coccidia in ferrets and other species. I would
>suggest following the recommended dosage schedule (up to 20 days) and
>re-testing (several times, if necessary) versus treating for 1-2 month
>duration or treating on and off for several months. I have only used the
>small animal formulation of Albon in ferrets which is flavored and I
>haven't had many problems with them taking it from a small syringe +/- a
>little nutrical if necessary. Also, I would suggest making sure that the
>ferrets are positive for coccidia prior to starting Albon versus treating
>based on signs of diarrhea. I think all of this discussion on diarrhea,
>coccidia, and Albon may lead people to treat their ferrets as soon as they
>develop a little soft stool and without having any diagnostics performed.
>The sulfonamides can have side effects and have shown to cause cleft
>palates in utero in some  rodent species.
[Posted in FML issue 2455]