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>What does mucus in a ferret's stool indicate?
 
Usually it indicates irritation of the colon/rectum.
 
>We have one little guy who has been losing weight steadily for months.
>His stools are formed but soft, bird-seedy, and more often than not are
>filled with mucus, sometimes greenish, sometimes not.  This isn't a green
>slime poop, it's more composed of bird seed bits held together by mucus.
>
>A few weeks ago I put this little guy on a daily supplement of chicken
>gravy with heavy cream.  We managed to stabilize his weight and even put
>a couple of ounces back on, but the stools still concern me.
>
>He's a little over a year old and is just as lively as he can be, so I'm
>baffled as to what's going on with the little guy.  His digestion has
>never been great, and we may have seen an episode of ECE late last year,
>but he didn't start the weight loss until this year.
 
I'd get a biopsy, I'm very suspicious of some sort of infiltrative
intestinal disease - eosinophilic gastroenteritis or IBD come to
mind.
 
and
 
>Dr. Purcell, good to hear from you!  Thanks for the reply.
 
You are very welcome.  It's nice to be caught up on my email for a change
(the rest of the week is looking a little busy ;-) >SNIP>
 
>The first pathologist called it EE, but when we had a ferret path review
>the sample, it came back inconclusive.  There were a few eosinophils in
>the sample, but not enough to be significant.  There was no peripheral
>eosinophilia at the time.  That's when we decided it may be ECE.
>
>I'm aware that this may have changed and we may now be dealing with
>either EE or IBD.
>
><sigh> I don't want to have to cut, but that may be the only answer.
>My vet feels that it is harder to diagnose from an endoscopic sample
>since it is not full-thickness. Would you agree?
 
Completely.  Besides, it is good to get a look at the tissues.  Last EE
ferret I cut, I was sure it was lymphoma, but pathologists are around for
a reason
 
Glad I could help on this one, please keep us posted.
 
-Dr. Karen
[log in to unmask]
Everett, MA
 
DISCLAIMER:
This e-mail is provided for general informational purposes only. It is
in no way intended as a replacement for a consultation with a qualified
licensed veterinarian. If you are concerned about your pet's health, you
should seek the advice of your regular veterinarian as soon as possible.
[Posted in FML issue 3861]