There is a recurrent form of Coccidia this year.  If people can provide
fresh specimens of such cases let me know with details about the cases
and your general location, please, so I can pass along the info to see
if yours are ones a pathologist looking at this Coccidia situation can
use.  The pathologist will be seeking why some of this year's infections
are different than most years.  Please, if you get this in your household
or shelter DO isolate and don't let any ferrets in or out till multiple
later checks and vet okay let you do so.  Some people are losing multiple
ferrets to Coccidia this year despite treatment.  That happens sometimes.
Many years ago a very nasty strain with huge simultaneous blooms of the
parasite occurred, so it pays to remember that Coccidia can at times be
worse than usual.  Albon is the med of choice.  This is not free
diagnostic work; it is follow-up work that will happen vet to vet about
known cases.

 ---

Something a friend just wrote elsewhere reminded me of a little (but
useful) note that we learned when giving oral chemo (one of the original
Jeglum protocols for ferrets, and this was maybe 12 to 15 years ago).

The tip: do NOT stand in front of the ferret.  Stand to the side or
behind.  Why?  Because I was standing in front when the ferret
immediately vomited back the chemo drug -- completely into my mouth --
as I was reassuring him.  Steve and I recall that even with that small
amount and immediate spitting and rinsing the docs had me be careful to
avoid any disease exposure to be safest, but not exactly what was done.

It is just a little thing, but one of those little things that matters.

It is also a good tip if giving a ferret any med which carries hazards
for humans or to which you are allergic.
 ---

It is important to NOT give any prescription medication without vet
okay.  At least CALL the vet, please, and ask for an emergency call-back
or if the vet is away who is filling in during that time.  Why?  The
human glucose meters are not necessarily reliable with ferrets.  Worse,
the symptoms of diabetes can look the same as those of insulinoma, but
giving Pred to diabetic ferrets can cause serious, even fatal, problems.
Every year we moderators at the FHL hear of at least one of these cases.

-- Sukie (not a vet, and not speaking for any of the below in my
  private posts)
Recommended health resources to help ferrets and the people who love
them:
Ferret Health List
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
FHL Archives
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
AFIP Ferret Pathology
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
Miamiferrets
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
International Ferret Congress Critical References
http://www.ferretcongress.org
[Posted in FML issue 5289]