Your new kit sounds like our Willow Bea.  We got her at a VT pet store
mainly because we were worried that she'd be killed if she was returned to
the distributor.  The pet shop couldn't handle her.  She was a mean lean
biting machine.  My wife and I would get nailed on a regular basis.
 
As many of you know, we believe in the scruff and shake method - scruff them
in the back of the neck and shake them back and forth (supporting them on
your forarm, and not shaking too hard - about like momma ferret would do to a
bad kit).  You have to be consistant.  You have to reward them for not
biting.  Unfortunately, you will get bit.
 
Put the Bitter Apple on YOUR hand, don't try to spray it in the ferret's
mouth.  You're getting into a negative reinforcement there teaching it that
bad things are going to happen at your hands.  Also you risk getting it in
it's eyes.
 
As for Willow, it took a while, but she became a very very sweet ferret with
a lot of personality.
 
OBTW - to the person who had the ferret that nips ankles?  Try the bitter
apple on your ankles.  The major problems with ankle biters is that they
think it's a game, and they're gone before you can grab them.  I like your
attitude though.  We have one that likes to "get our attention" that way
then bounces off while hissing/laughing all over the room.  Since he doesn't
break tha skin (just surprises us) we've learned to laugh with him.
 
ECE/Stress:  I have to admit being so busy for the past few weeks that I
haven't read 100% of each post.  If there was another post discussing green
diarrhea and saying that ECE was only due to stress, I appologize for
stepping in here.
 
I posted a while back that all green diarrhea was not ECE.  If there was
some confusion with the post, let me clarify.  I didn't mean to imply that
ECE didn't exist as a disease, only that every bout of "green diarrhea" was
not due to ECE.  Stress of new foods, housing, new arrival, even water may
produce a bout of green diarrhea.  I've just seen too many people
immediately assume that any green diarrhea is ECE, which is NOT the case.
Treatment of the diarrhea is largely the same - see your vet, keep the
ferret hydrated and fed; give antidiarrheal medications and often,
antibiotics and Carafate (talk to your vet).  Both ECE and stress diarrhea
are life threatening to your ferret if not treated aggressively.
 
 The big difference is contagion.  ECE is highly contagious and remains so
for a significant time after recovery.  Stress diarrhea will usually clear up
within a week after the stress is removed, or adapted to.
 
Dick B.
[Posted in FML issue 1476]