>From:    "Douglas W. Strebel" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: sick babies
>I am not a vet and am still learning about illnesses, etc., but there is
>a possibility your babies may have ECE.  I stress possibility.  Because
>I am not able to see their little poos, I cannot give you a definite
>answer.
 
How can you ID ECE from their poop?  My understanding was that the ECE
disease causes intestinal irritation and that the irritation (which can be
cuased by a number of factors) is what causes the 'green poopies,' hence
one could not determine from just a glimpse at the poop WHAT the culprit is.
Every time we bring a new ferret into our home, SOMEONE gets stress-poop
(green) and no one has ever had/gotten ECE.
 
[clip]
>To make a long story short, I rushed them to the vet the next morning.
>According to the Doc, I caught this rather early.  My children were not
>dehydrated (ECE does cause dehydration and possibly loss of appetite),
>but they did have the germs.
 
Hang on.  What exactly do you mean by "...they did have the germs?"  ECE is
a virus and unless this guy has an electron microscope and on the cutting
edge of ECE research (what research?), I've yet to hear of a fecal (or any
other for that matter) screen for ECE
 
>I was given amoxicillin and some other medication which I was to give
>all of them two or three times a day until the medication was gone.  I
>was told if this problem persisted, bring the kids back in.
 
If the meds knocked it out, it sure wasn't ECE.  The only reason I've heard
of antibiotics being perscribed was to knock out any secondary infections
that the terribly sick ferret might be more prone to contracting due to
his/her weakened state.
 
>They were very healthy and their fecal exam was clear.
 
Again, I've never heard of a fecal exam for ECE.  If I'm wrong, someone send
me address to get the info.  I'd like my vet (and all those in this area!)
to have it!
 
>...disinfect the area on a daily basis (if daily is possible for you).
>If I remember correctly, I used liquid lysol (whatever the people at
>infectious diseases use) and rinsed the area real well.
 
Lysol is highly toxic to ferrets.  I'm not sure it would do a thing to ECE.
In order for Lysol to be an anti-viral agent it must be sprayed heavily onto
the 'offending' surface and allowed to air dry for at least 10 minutes (at
least that's what my can says).
 
                                        -Erin...
 
=========================
   Mr. Erin M. Ennis    |       Any sufficiently convoluted argument can
 eennis(at)zoo,uvm,edu  |       be made to appear to be science as the
 Water Resources Major, |       layman equates incomprehensibility with
     Biology Minor      |       science.                -Unknown
    Uni. of Vermont     |
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[Posted in FML issue 2319]