Jack, my one-eyed darling has responded wonderfully to the sulfur
medication and is slowly putting on weight.  He can now eat a whole cube of
duck soup in one sitting.  He is not impressed with my constant smooching
and gushing over him.  I should drown him in the bucket of tears I've cried
over him, the ingrate!
 
I took in a fecal sample from his cage mate, Farrah, just to be on the safe
side.  She was eating fine, pooping fine, as playful as a 4 year old lady
can be and has a beautiful soft coat.  I was sure that she couldn't have
contracted the coccidia given her health.  Well I was right, she doesn't
have coccidia - she was diagnosed with ROUND WORM.  When I picked my jaw up
off the floor and said excuse me!  Round Worm - she isn't showing any
symptoms of anything!!??
 
So, on my vet's (ferret wise) recommendation, all the ferrets in our home
were treated for round worm.  Fourteen little mouths to pop a crushed pill
into to and another round of disinfecting litter boxes and you really don't
want to know how many that ended up being as I have lots of community litter
boxes out in the play areas.  When I get strange looks at work, I tell them
that they are smelling my new perfume "Au de Javex"
 
Here's another question to all shelter operators, should I being
automatically getting a fecal test done on all ferts coming into the
shelter(doesn't always show up first time) and or putting all new shelter
ferts on a parasite med period?  It's not the cost I'm worried about, but
the work involved to disinfect everything and treat current ferrets who
have played in the same rooms even if they have had no direct contact.
 
Before anyone wonders, as you will notice that I have posted twice (gasp)
in one FML, I have not bitten (only my ferts do that, but I call it love
nibbles) more than I can chew.  My wonderful hubby helps out with feedings
and cleaning or simply making meals while I'm down in the shelter room
trying to convince my fear biter Mr. Beezley that I am one big ferret
covered in ferretone, just wanting to play!
 
Deb
Zookeeper
[Posted in FML issue 2427]