Hi, all.  I said on a previous post that I was so sad after reading all the
sad stories and hoped I wouldn't have to post one for a long time.  Wishful
thinking-also naiive.  I haven't posted this earlier because this was the
first chance I've had to get on the computer this week.  Here goes- the
Saturday before Thanksgiving, I brought home a new ferret from the local
pet shop I buy supplies from.  The owner bred ferrets and had a 6-month
old male available that she had decided not to breed.  I couldn't resist-
I brought him home that night.  I let him play with my four ferrets that
night, but had him sleep in a separate carrier for the night.  He played
with my four boys again on Sunday, and slept in the big cage with them, as
he seemed healthy and was getting along with them.  I had Monday off to go
X-mas shopping, and decided to let the boys out to play when I got up.
Everyone came out of the cage except Smidgeon, my oldest (only about 4
1/2).  When I looked in the litter box, there were pools of green slime in
all of the corners.  Smidgeon hardly responded to me when I talked to him,
and seemed very limp.  I took him out of the cage, and he wouldn't even
lift his head up.  I called my vet and took him in on an emergency visit.
I hadn't paid attention to any of the Green Slime (ECE) info previously on
web sites or this FML, as it didn't seem it would apply to me and was so
confusing.  I also had not separated any of my ferrets when I got a new
one, and didn't realize what could happen if I didn't do it.  When I pulled
into the parking spot at the vet's office, I wasn't driving crazy, but
Smidgy had been laying with his head on the edge of the litter box in the
carrier, and his nose fell forward into the litter and he didn't lift his
head out.  I took him out of the carrier and cleaned his nose out- this is
when it hit me that he was seriously ill (first dread in pit of stomach).
My vet didn't like the way he looked, and said he would have to stay for
the day and get fluids, antibiotics, etc.  and be observed.  I mentioned
the slime and that I had gotten a new ferret, and she said she suspected
green slime, and that it didn't look good.  I felt so guilty- I had brought
the new ferret home on a whim and now my favorite sweet ferret was ill
because of me.  I felt like I was being punished for something.  She told
me to separate the new guy and watch my other boys.  When I got home, there
was new slime in the litterbox, and my other boys were trying to throw up.
I called my vet and told her this, and she said since they were not
dehyrated (per me), I could pick up meds for them and should keep a close
eye on them.  I scrubbed out their litter boxes and filled them all with
brand new litter.  My vet wanted me to wait a bit before picking up the
meds to see how Smidgy was doing.  I ran to the store and bought Pepto
Bismol and Pedialyte for them.  Smidgy was not improving throughout the
day, and I left my house at 3:30 that afternoon to go pick up meds,
expecting to have to sign a paper authorizing my vet to put him to sleep.
(By the way, he had been seeming ill before this and was scheduled for
exploratory adrenal surgery Dec.  3).  When I got to the vets office, she
told me he had passed away five minutes before I got there.  She let me see
him alone for as long as I liked, but I could only take a few minutes.  I
had been crying all day and could only stroke his fur for a while, then
kiss the top of his head and let him go.  I felt like the ground had fallen
away beneath my feet.  Utter depair.  Utter guilt.  I called my hubby to
come home.  Lost it all day.  I keep searching my mind, looking back,
wondering if I could have done anything to notice this earlier.  My vet
informed me I couldn't have known.  I couldn't sleep that night- I kept
picturing the dead Smidgeon on the vet's table, not the sweet, kissy boy he
had been.  Now- my remaing three original boys are on antibiotics, doing
pretty well- semi-solid poops already!  My hubby and I decided to keep the
new ferret, as he is a very sweet, friendly, boy and it's not his fault he
was a carrier of ECE.  Now that I'm done with my grief part, what I need to
ask is that anyone experiencing ECE firsthand PLEASE email me and tell me
what you know about it, such as:
 
- Can I not get any more ferrets until these guys are gone, as they will
  all be carriers (will they be?)
- How long will they have the symptoms?
- How can you tell if a new ferret has ECE?
 
Thanks much for any help, be it mental to get over my grief and guilt, or
ECE related.  I'm so glad I have you all on the FML to help me through
this!
 
--
Sadly,
Dawn
[Posted in FML issue 2879]