This post from Digest 43 is only one of many excellent ones on dealing
with ECE:
 
 Date: Wed, 07 Mar 2001 05:48:11 -0000
 Subject: Re: ECE treatment (New member intro)
 
 --- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "Mike Janke" <mjanke@m...> wrote:
>I have to agree that supportive care for ECE is the most important
>thing one MUST do to help a ferret survive this nasty disease.
>
>While antibiotics are useful for the first week, I don't believe
>Flagyl provides enough benefit to outweigh the stress of giving it.
>For the really severe cases, pred often helped too.
 
I've got to go with Mike on this one.  The reason that we give antibiotics
in ferrets with ECE is not to treat anything, but to prevent a secondary
bacterial infection.  In some facilities, we have seen a concomitant
pathogenic E.  coli infection cause significant mortality spikes.  So for
that first week, antibiotics are usually given.  My choice is Amoxicillin.
 
Flagyl is a poor antibiotic for most opportunistic bacteria.  The bad taste
associated with it may cause significant stress.  The down side of stress
ulcers greatly outweighs any benefit, so we just go with Amoxi - it does
very nicely.
 
I also discourage the use of Pepcid or cimetidine for ECE ferrets with
concomitant ulcers.  Coronavirus infection (ECE) causes significant
digestive imbalances, and the worst ECE cases are seen in animals with
advanced Helicobacter cases - (this is why the disease is worse in older
animals.) An older animal with ECE, or with ECE and Helicobacter, already
suffers from maldigestion, which is only worsened by further increasing
the pH of the stomach.
 
Carafate will usually achieve the proper effect if administered 10 minutes
prior to meals and will not further the maldigestion seen in older ECE
ferrets.
 
Pepcid is not without its uses - but I tend to restrict it to younger
ferrets with obvious stress related ulcers, when it's use will not
adversely impact a GI tract already compromised by chronic Helicobacter
or ECE.
 
With kindest regards,
 
Bruce H. Williams, DVM, DACVP
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[Posted in FML issue 3350]