>Dr. Weiss conducted the biopsies.  Zinc is 3.5 - 4 years old.  We had
>added another ferret to the family in July, but Zinc's symptoms didn't
>begin until late August / early September.  Pixie (our other ferret) has
>not had any symptoms as a result of adding the new ferret.  I had figured
>that Zinc didn't have ECE because (a) she was the only one of the original
>2 that showed any symptoms and (b) she only had diarrhea during play time.
>Poop looked completely normal while caged and resting.  Dr. Weiss
>suggested the biopsy because it could be an early sign of lymphoma.
>Although, he did think it was unlikely.  I did talk to him after my
>message was sent to the FML, and he said that inflammatory bowel disease
>can be caused by a number of things, but the treatment for most of them is
>the same.  Should I discuss this (re: your post) further with Dr. Weiss?
>It's difficult to know what to ask when you are lacking information.
 
Suzanna:
 
It is difficult to ascertain at this point what the original insult was,
and I can only point to ECE as a possibility without seeing the slides.
The lesion caused by ECE is fairly characteristic.  At this point, we
couldn't rule it in or out.
 
As this coronavirus becomes more and more a part of the ferret community,
we are going to see much more variable signs due to the number of animals
that have already been through it.  Sometimes ECE comes into a household
and because other ferrets have either been previously exposed, or their
disease is so mild, we don't see the explosive outbreaks which are so often
seen.
 
So - in the absence of seeing the slides, I would still encourage you
to give the prednisone a try.  I also agree that lymphoma is a pretty
unlikely cause in this scenario.  Please feel free to talk with Dr. Weiss
about this - he and I have worked very closely in the past, and often
consult on the same cases, unbeknowst to each other.
 
I am hopeful that you have switched to a bland diet at this point.  Most
cases of IBD, regardless of cause, result in changes to the intestinal
lining which render it very diffiult to digest kibble.  My particular
favority, Gerber Chicken works very well, as would a number of the duck
soup variants which are omnipresent among ferret owners.  The key is that
the kibble poorly digested and absorbed, and contributes significantly to
the loose and birdseed stools which such animals pass.  The recovery from
IBD, like ECE, is not a quyick one and can take weeks to regain full
function and stool normalcy!  Don't look for a quick fix here!
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams dVM
[Posted in FML issue 3224]