>From:    "Mrs. Duck" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Ferret Flu vs. ECE
>First big difference is that the owner (or another human the ferrets have
>had excessive exposure to) also comes down with a tummy flu within a day or
>two each way of the ferrets.
 
Most so called intestinal flus are mild cases of food poisoning.  The flu is
normally a respiratory infection.
 
>Secondly, this thing seems to run it's course in about 5 days, and be
>forever gone afterward.
 
This is not a difference from the ECE cases we are most familiar with.
 
Regardless of whether you admit this is ECE or claim it is a new disease it
is very similar and should be treated exactly the same regarding exposure of
infected ferrets (or even past infected ferrets) to uninfected ferrets.
They should not be going to ferret shows, frolics, parties or fun matches.
If it is truly a new viral disease that infects both humans and ferrets the
infected people should likewise be avoinding ferret shows, frolics, fun
matches and parties.  If it is new than the scope and long term prognosis
and extent of shedding is not known.
 
The health of other animals and people should far outweigh desire for
personal pleasure or notoriety.
 
>It is for these two reasons that the vets don't seem to think it was ECE
>(at least in my house).
 
Are you sure you gave all vets all information?  Some was left out in the
list postings.
 
Vets we've heard from directly and indirectly which include the same vets
you speak of have told us and others that they think the ECE virus might be
mutating or showing slightly different symptoms such as differing color in
the soft stools.
 
(Future nasty mail to us might be made public.)
 
>From:    Thomas Howe <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Ferret starter kits
 
Most of the ferret starter kits do sound like the Hagen supplies.  Both the
AFA and LIFE have made complaints to the company with suggestions on
improvments.  At one point we thought they had substitued pine for cedar
which is a slight bit better.
 
As general cages they are not very good.  But the cage itself as a birthing
cage is among the best.  So it goes...
 
>From:    Al Horne <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Colors
...and...
>From:    Michael Curry <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Ferret Colours....
 
(bill response here)
Check out http://www.ferret.org/afacolors.htm
 
I'm very familiar with all the current and past US standards.  I prefer the
AFA standards as the simplest and most complete.  The FURO standard was
overly divisive by colors.  The independant and LIFE standards (both
originally from the same author) do not adequately distinguish between color
and pattern for my tastes.  The NAFA standard is largely based on the IFA
standard and has too many odd quirky colors added for slight differences.  I
think th GLFA standard will change a bit more.  The only AFA color I
personally have a problem with is black sable.  And thats only that there is
not an equivalent for champagne and chocolate.  Some of the AFA pattern
distinctions are as arbitrary as any other standard though.
 
Let me know if I can help in more detail.
 
>From:    Bob Church <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Mo' Bob C Q&A
>When is enough enough?  When do you put down the surgical equipment, the
>medicines, the intervention, and allow nature to take it's course?
 
Quit asking the easy questions.... <grin>
 
Well we had to face these decisions recently our selves (as must nearly
everyone at some point).  Its real hard to assign a "numeric value" to life
quality to use in multiplication but we sort of "guess" and take the quality
factor times life expectancy with different treatments (including
non-treatment) This is probably because bill is a mathematical type being a
computer scientist and thus heavily oriented to formulas.  But both of us
are also artists (bill in music and diane in studio arts) so we are also
geared toward quality over quantity.
 
Okay as everyone's guessed thats approximately BS.  So we like everyone else
just have to guess as to what is best trying to do such wondering about
which is better longer less happy or shorter happier.
 
>Q: (e-mail; old) There are a lot of new books about ferrets coming out
>lately.  Do you have a favorite book?
 
Nice.  Good points made.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1831]