a reply to the 'wasting disease/Greenies' post..
 
Hi Everybody..
 
There is a couple ways to diagnose Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis..  the first
is to do a 'gram stain' of the feces and look for cells groups of round
cells that appear three to a group..  any of these in the feces of a ferret
would indicate a further test be done..  it is normal for a ferret to have
3-5 of these little cell groupings in a blood sample..  but a number like 35
means very active Eso.  the third is to do an exploratory..  if the
mesenteric node in the center of the J shaped stomic is enlarged [3 plus
times normal] you have Eso..  and a short course of Pred.  is the med of
choice [in my experience].  Eso is an intracellular condition and as such is
present in all ferrets.  The trigger that sets off a flare of these cells is
suspected to be dry food with little or no water..  BUT that is only a
suspicion not a confirmed fact..  Eso can be trriggered by a stressed
gasto-intestinal tract..  the streaked green usually in a mucus dominant
stool also can be PBD [proliferative bowel disease] another intracellulular
disease that takes chloramphenicol to shut it down..  and these two can be
set off by Helicobacter [dark tarry stools]..[which can be present but
dormant unless something sets it off..  and it is being found in a large
percentage of ferrets these day] which is corrected with Biaxin usually...
so any ferret can have these do a domino effect launch of all of them at
once in one over stressed ferret..
 
Dandy huh?..  and ECE can stress the digestive tract and kick them all off
requiring you do the 'support and wait it out' treatment while using an
antibiotic to help with any other side infectons the ferret may have due to
stressing the whole system.  ..  All of these can thin a ferret down in a
very short time..  all are called 'wasting diseases' ...
 
Each of these diseases has at least one symptom unique to it alone..  [the
enlarged mesenteric node for Eosinophilic for instance which requires an
exploratory to verify since the darn cell groups can vanish if the disease
eases off for a while]..
 
Then when all else fails there is the gastric ulcer..  which can accompany
more than one of the above or occur alone..
 
The book Ferrets, Rabbit, and Rodents has an excellent section of this
multifaceted situation in ferrets..  and it has an excellent diagnostic
chart as well as the meds for each disease including dosages..  If anyone
ever needed a reason to get a ferret med text this catagory of ferret
diseases is the best reason I know of..  You will need your vet, absolutely!
But it lets you begin to review the symptoms and get a pretty good idea what
you are dealing with..  one of them at a time as one can mask another..  all
of these can be defeated!  it takes patience and close attention to detail..
but it CAN be done.  I have been through this with several rescue ferrets [a
good reason to quarantine new intakes until at least two consecutive fecal
slides show totally clear of any problems] and all lived to dook and steal
remotes for years after their battle with these nasty customers ..  :)
 
It takes a good ferret vet and time to find all the problems and treat them
whether one of these diseases or several..
 
I spend a lot of time reading and rereading anatomy and disease related
articles, and keep copies in my bookcase and notebooks..  It helps a lot to
know what and why when helping a little one..  at least for me..
 
FWIW
 
dayna and the woozles of the MMOMM rescue/shelter
[Posted in FML issue 2158]