>Am I putting my three darlings at risk by bring in the three new ferrets?
>Even if I bought a ferret from a pet store--isnt there a possibility that
>it might be ECE carrier.  ?
 
At this time, I personally don't believe there is any safe avenue to obtain
a ferret without the chance exposure to ECE.  Whether you get one from a
shelter, known exposure or not, from a breeder (same) or a pet shop (where
a person with an ECE household could easily walk in and pass it on OR the
kits were exposed at a distributor before being sent to the pet shop).
 
My advice is this:
If you have ferrets over three years of age, especially if there are health
issues, don't risk them to exposure of ECE.  Wait until they pass on and
then get more ferrets, and expose them early to ECE.  If you have young,
healthy ferrets, and know you want more ferrets, and are willing to do some
hand feeding for awhile, then go ahead and expose them now.  The best age to
expose ferrets to ECE is in the first 3-4 months of their life, while their
systems are growing and regenerating very quickly.  Most ferrets under three
handle ECE well if they are on a good diet and well cared for.  Older
ferrets might survive exposure to ECE, but might develop health problems
like adrenals and insulinoma early.
 
The decision is always up to the ferret care taker, because accidental
exposure can happen too, despite how we try to protect out pets.  From a
person who has dealt with ECE since it was first "discovered", all I can
say is that I'm happy to not be exposing any more ferrets to it than is
necessary, and that I don't have to deal with it on a regular basis any
longer.  It's hard enough to be feeding three ferrets duck soup daily and
medicating just due to old age illnesses.
 
Pam
[Posted in FML issue 2280]