Hi all...
 
Just looking for advice as one of my four is quite ill.  He has been to the
vet 3X in 2 weeks and will probably go back tonight or tomorrow night.  I
have read the FAQ's and my vet is very well-versed in ferrets but the
results of tests have been inconclusive.  Symptoms: loss of appetite,
seeming depression, lethargy, weakness in hind legs, diarrhea.  He has had
blood tests (normal except for 'high liver values'?  I can get my vet to be
more specific if necessary), and has been tested for parasites, etc.  X-rays
were inconclusive so they did a barium swallow which showed what might (or
might not) be a partial blockage.  Diarrhea is brown (medium-green once,
which was yesterday), very mucusy.  He was on metronidazole and SMZ for
about a week, but got worse, so I took him in last Thursday night, the vet
rehydrated him and he ate something, they ran the aforementioned tests, and
I took him home on Friday.  He is on amoxicyllin now.  I hand-feed him
chicken baby food and ferretvite and encourage him to drink as much as
possible, but he hasn't touched his chow since he's been home.  All the kids
had diarrhea but all seem to have recovered but him, and they never stopped
eating (they eat like ferret chow is going out of style!).  I am keeping him
separate from them.
 
Anyway, sorry for the long post, but is there a specific test for ECE?
Anything else the vet or myself can do?  Thanks, and please include Elie
Wiesel in your prayers.  He's my first and bestest ferret.
 
Gail Snyder Shochet
[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1786]