To Jeff Jones (and everyone else) concerning Helicobacter:
 
>We eventually decided to try a different vet.  We were referred to
>a Dr. Jean Wardell in Annandale, VA.  She diagnosed Mojo with a combination of
>a diarhea (sp?) disease, gastric ulcers, and the Helicobacter stuff.
>We took him off all of the hard-core antibiotics he had been on, and put him on
>a regimen of Duck Soup, Pedialyte, amoxicillin, and pepto-bismol. Apparently
>the Pepto and Amoxy have stuff in them that kills the Helicobacter.  Charlie
>and Jordan were given amoxy and pepto to keep them from getting sick again.
 
>After four weeks of this regimen, Mojo has finally started eating and drinking
>on his own again, he's his own playful self again, and he has started putting
>on some of the weight he had lost (a few weeks ago,
>he was down to 1 pound from 2.5; he's now back up to about 1.7).
 
        Yes, a prolonged regimen - at least two weeks, generally 4, of
amoxicillin and Pepto-Bismol is required.  Most ferrets will tolerate
amoxicillin, but they all HATE Pepto.  But it will help over the long run.
 
>Dr. Wardell is highly recommended; she spent a long time with us in her office,
>and spoke to us on the phone every day for over
>a week, and once a week since. She interned with Dr. Thomas Kawasaki for almost
>two years (Dr. Kawasaki says to say "Hello!" to you, Dr. Williams; we went down
>to see him one day when Dr. Wardell was unavailable).
 
        I've known Jean and Tom both for about three years now, and I highly
recommend them.  I've taken my ferrets to them on occasion, and I also do their
path work for them.  If anyone has ferret problems and doesn't mind the drive to
D.C. or just south of there, I highly recommend it.  I often refer people to Tom
(703-690-2580), he's a caring practitioner who also has the lowest prices that I
have seen anywhere....Jean was well-trained in ferret medicine and although she
has moved out on her own, they often treat many cases together.  I think they're
both top-flight ferret practitioners.
 
       Bruce Williams, DVM                 Department of Veterinary Pathology
       [log in to unmask]         Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
       (202) 576-2453/2454                 Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
 
[Posted in FML issue 0925]