>From:    Debbie Hunton <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: ECE
 
>1.  How is it positively diagnosed?
 
ECE is diagnosed symptomatically.  There is currently no test that will
tell the vet that a ferret has it.  The symptoms are pretty obvious to
someone who has dealt with it, but vets who haven't may misdiagnose or just
say that they don't know what's wrong.
 
>2.  Does it *require* antibiotics to get rid of it?
 
I agree with our shelter operator that antibiotics are probably not
something you want to give a ferret with ECE.  Antibiotics are mostly
useless in ECE cases, since those only treat bacterial infections and we
know that ECE is a viral infection Also, its likely antibiotics will kill
off the "good" bacteria in the intestinal tract, and you probably don't
want to do that.
 
One should take their ferret to a vet if ECE-like symptoms appear, if for
no other reason than to make sure it's not coccidia or giardia (sp?) or
some other problem.  Once the vet finds nothing wrong other than the
obvious symptoms, it's time to treat it as ECE.
 
Yes, there's a chance the ferret will pull through it if she doesn't go to
the vet, IF it's ECE and she provides the proper supportive care.  When
Spaz came down with it, I took him to the vet and had the full battery of
tests run just to make sure and came up empty handed.  When Beasley came
down with it the next day, I didn't feel any reason to put him through the
same tests.  That was a month and a half ago and both are doing well now.
 
A simple office visit isn't that expensive.  Tell her to go to make sure
it's not something else.
 
For the ferrets,
Mike
 
* Michael F. Janke, [log in to unmask]
* Secretary, South Florida Ferret Club and Rescue, Inc.
*
* Visit our web site: http://www.gate.net/~mjanke
[Posted in FML issue 2278]