<TLE wrote>:
 
>... But ferrets get canine distemper and they catch our flu.  All warm
>blooded animals can contract the rabies virus.  What makes corona virus
>species specific and not the others?
 
I would like to know the answer to this as well.  We had some boarders bring
in *something* a while back and it's causing grainy, loosly formed stool,
some better than others.  No one has been really ill from it, everyone is
eating, drinking, playing (there are 6 kits attacking my toes as I write
this!) but we cannot figure out what it is.  We thought: Parasite?  and
treated with Ivermectin.  Nope.  We pondered: Bacteria?  and tried to
culture a few fecal samples.  The lab said "It's viral, boys and girls, but
we don't know what it is." My vet said "Ask the FML if ferrets get something
like a corona virus".  So...
 
Oddly, some ferrets don't get any symptoms.  One old guy was here for a
month or so, had adrenal surgery and never got it.  Neither did the ferret
he came in with.  OTOH, a ferret who came to board was barely in the house a
day, when she came down with it.
 
We are doing our best to isolate any new ferrets and that seems to have some
success, but we really are at a loss as to what this is.  We've tried
Clindamycin (sp?), Eurethramycin and Amoxi, Ivermectin, Pepto Bismal,
Kaopectate....argh.
 
Sheena
Wherret Ferrets Halfway House and Ferretry
Ferret Association of Greater Vancouver
[Posted in FML issue 1635]