Yes, vaccines make all the difference in the world, Fortunately, as we
now know from the shedding time studies, also, ferrets show symptoms early
on which is an important safety feature.  Every once in a while a person
learns about a positive ferret.  They aren't at all common instances;
typically long apart, but it can happen.
 
General note: DO get those vaccinations, DO get a copy of the Compendium
of Animal Rabies Control and your own state regs and make useful
documents available to your local hospital emergency wards so they won't
automatically scream for any ferrets to be destroyed and tested.
 
Remember that ANYTHING which causes food to pass too quickly will cause
green stools.  Pays always to check for parasites, bacterial infections,
etc.  and to not forget that it might be a viral infection that may pass.
Could even be a food problem or happen from too many treats, a foreign
body, or treats which irritate (with healing needed afterwards), even ones
which pass too fast.  Might be colitis, an allergy, or a sensitivity, etc.
LOADS of possible causes of green runs, just as there are loads of possible
causes of seedy runs.  ECE is just one of them.  Right now that is a
diagnosis of elimination, but eventually -- since the causative organism
was isolated -- there should be a test.  (Note "eventually".) One thing
that was pronounced when we had ECE was that the runs smelled necrotic.
Had a household full of very sick ones for 3 months and then isolated for
another year + to be safe.  That just makes sense when it's ECE.
 
>Sorry for being such a blonde!
 
Oh, come on now!  Would you say, "Sorry for being such a Pole, or sorry
for being so Black?" The "blondes are stupid" thing dates back from when
Swedes first came over and people decided they were stupid.  Connecting
intelligence, morality or any other essentials to something like a physical
characteristic or nationality ( or religion, or gender, or...) is not a
considerate action for anyone no matter who is the target because it
encourages preconceptions which have zip to do with reality.
 
Obviously, everyone wants food makers to take responsibility when a goof
by the company which produces it for them causes problems.  That's only
logical, but it is NOT logical to over-react in a way which causes people
to fear the maker in general.  Yet, there have been some here who are now
screaming in general -- which seems to be mainly a way to get attention
for themselves, or a panic reaction.  Nor is it logical to expect that
utilizing extra care may not take time.  After all, unless they found the
cause early on they have to locate what is behind it all (which might have
already happened; I don't know.).  If they have to track down what happened
despite their best efforts so far, then meanwhile they have to be extra
careful.  That's going to cause delays -- FOR GOOD REASONS.  Let's look at
this logically, NO other manufacturer of foods used by ferrets has been
so responsive about getting the word out when something went wrong and
certainly there have been a number of cases with other foods where things
went wrong, some worse than this situation in possible outcome.  Normally,
in the past the others have just stayed completely mum when they goofed.
People learned about problems by comparing notes, and nothing more.  Do
you really think that the battering Performance Foods is getting for trying
to do the right thing will encourage the worse places to improve their
acts?  No, anything but!  Do you know any other food maker in which a pet
nutritionist has been willing to help design special diets for ferrets with
unusual health problems even it means moving away from their food?  I sure
don't.  Only have run into one -- at Performance Foods -- as well as one at
one of the supplement places.  Why damage the financial basis of a company
beyond their logical responsibility and risk losing an important resource
and a product for which they (unlike the rest) actually ARE taking
responsibility?  Let's encourage them to take responsibility instead of
blowing things all out proportion among ourselves, and let's then also try
to make the REST take as much responsibility when they goof.  Simple fact
of the matter is that this maker has taken a level of responsibility which
is far better than the others have to date, so let's not abuse them to
point where there is back-sliding.
 
I agree with the poster who very logically pointed out that when
distributors and stores don't accept their own responsibilities that
is not the fault of the maker.
[Posted in FML issue 3129]