If you've held the new ferret then come home and held Lucy, chances are
you've already exposed Lucy to ECE if the new ferret is carrying it.  ECE
is a manageable illness.  If she gets it, don't panic, just keep a real
close eye on her.  With good supportive care she'll get through the worst
of it in a week... again.... with good supportive care!
 
ECE doesn't differentiate between breeders, & MF's are not necessarily
carriers any more than any other blood line.
 
For a ferret Lucy's age, ECE could be serious.  You should keep a very
close eye on her poops and the amount she's eating.  The trick to beating
ECE is in early treatment.  With a 7 yr.  old, start her on antibiotics
at the very first yucky poop.  The antibiotic is prevention for secondary
bacterial infections.  It won't cure ECE viral infection.
 
Make sure she eats every 4 four hours.  She absolutely MUST have SOMETHING
on her stomach to prevent additional stomach problems.  Make soup & dropper
feed it to her if she slows down on eating her regular food.  If she has
a favorite treat (even if it's not all that nutritional) give it to her.
Anything to keep something on her stomach (but preferably nutritional!)
 
Make the soup from her regular food, NOT some fancy recipe that she'll get
spoiled to & refuse to give up when she's better!  At her age, she doesn't
need that kind of stress!  And you'll have enough stress just worrying
about her without having to grind up a whole raw chicken and buy half a
shelf of stuff to add to the cooking pot.  Those recipes are great... but
not practical or advisable in a case where it's a change in diet during a
digestive tract problem!
 
If she stops eating her regular food, add an egg yolk to the soup to make
sure she gets her daily requirement of protein.  If she likes Nutrical,
it's an excellent source of additional, easily digested calories, to
prevent weight loss.  You can also add the antibiotic to the soup
(amoxi-drops or clavamox).  If the vet prescribes flagyl (metronizadole)
DON'T mix it in the soup - she won't eat it.  You'll have to tie her down &
call animal control to come help administer metronizadole (just kidding...
sorta).  They hate the stuff.
 
Feel free to print this & take it to your vet when you take Lucy in for
the antibiotic (IF she comes down with yucky poops).  Even the most ferret
UN-knowledgeable vet should agree that the antibiotic is a recommended
prescription, even if ECE is only suspected, for a ferret Lucy's age.  If
yours doesn't, find another vet.  (Yes, I have come across vets that try to
just blow if off and say, oh, give it a week and if she's not better bring
her back... with ECE a week later is MONTHS added to recovery time - if the
ferret survives.)
 
I'm not a vet, just the Dr. Mom of an ECE positive shelter, (read "Chief
Soup Maker & Treat Dispenser") with three vet numbers on speed dial.
 
Debi Christy
Ferrets First Foster Home
[Posted in FML issue 3129]