OCCULT BLOOD CARDS: There are two basic types of occult blood cards; those that simply check for the presence of hemoglobin (guaiac-based tests checking for peroxidase activity, such as Hemoccult II and Hemoccult II Sensa) and those that specifically check for human blood (immunoassay chemical-based tests for human hemoglobin, such as HemeSelect). If you use the HemeSelect card, the ferret's stool can be tarry with blood, but because the test looks for human immune markers, it will probably not test positive. Hemoccult II Sensa cards are considered by many medical professionals to yield more false-positive results compared to HemeSelect, and are more sensitive to animal-based bloods. Hemoccult II cards are the basic economy model stool guaiac cards, and some health professionals shun then except as a cheap screening tool for humans, but that makes them perfect for our purposes. We WANT an occult blood card that reacts to animal (ferret) blood, and one that is CHEAP. In fact, I use Hemoccult II cards; I have actually mixed small amounts of ferret blood into negative-tested ferret poop, blind tested them, and it detects the change. Many vets do not use occult blood cards. I've asked a few why not, and most seem to have never considered it, which is strange to me considering it is far more sensitive than the eye in detecting the presence of blood in the stool. I think that because ferrets are especially prone to gastric ulcers, the use of occult blood cards would be a wonderful way to check for gastric bleeding and MUCH more pleasant than dissecting poop. Other aliments cause gastrointestinal bleeding, including esophageal problems, polyps, gastrointestinal cancers, and ulcerative colitis, and the cards are used in screening for those problems in humans -- there is no reason why a similar screening process couldn't be done in ferrets. One vet told me the cards MIGHT be useful in detecting intestinal damage caused by ECE; the theory being blood tends to leak into the GI tract after the outer surfaces of the intestinal wall have been damaged. In humans, occult blood is often present with intestinal obstructions, so guaiac cards MAY be useful to help screen for that problem as well. Even if YOUR vet cannot understand how the use of occult blood cards holds promise in screening for specific problems in ferrets, you are under no obligation to remain in the Stone Age with them. The cards are cheap (100 cards lasts a long time), a pharmacy can order them for you or you can obtain them off the internet, and they are marvelous for screening for blood in a ferret's poop. I once lost a ferret to a bleeding ulcer; although I visually inspect ferret poop daily as I empty the latrines, I NEVER saw visually detectable blood. One night I went to bed knowing one of my rescued ferrets was a bit quirky like they were getting sick, but generally doing ok, only to wake up the next morning to find tarry stool and blood all over the floor, and a dead ferret in the corner. Now, I screen every stressed and sick ferret for gastric bleeding and haven't lost one to the problem since. I detect it, I aggressively treat it, and I have occult blood cards to thank for most of that success. (3 emails) Bob C [Posted in FML issue 4417]