Dear X:
 
While it is not totally clear to me that these two animals indeed have ECE,
let us proceed along those lines.  The diet that you have followed is good,
however, Pedialyte is of benefit only in acute stages, and giving it to
chronically infected animal is likely of little use.  Animals who have
passed through the watery, dehydrating phase are likely to do better on
water alone.
 
You do not mention the time period which they were on baby food alone.  I
generally recommend that ferrets are removed from kibble for a minimum of
thirty days.  During this time, they are generally well nourished with the
baby food.  Kibble is very difficult for the coronavirus-injured intestine
to digest and absorb, as both the digestion and absorption functions become
deranged as a result of viral infection and loss of large amounts of
superficial intestinal epithelium.
 
It may simply be that the introduction of the MF food occurred a bit too
quick and this has caused their progress to arrest.  I prefer about 60cc
of water per day per individual and a feeding about every four hours.  The
best way to tell if you are feeding them and hydrating them well is to
monitor weight and activity.  If they are lethargic and continue to drop
weight, then we need to redouble our efforts.
 
For normal healthy young ferrets - a 2-3 week course of the disease is the
norm.  Older animals with concurrent disease take significantly longer to
recover.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
[Posted in FML issue 3457]