Hi List, I'm new and have a very sick fert :-( I've written to Dr. Williams, but while I wait for e reply, was wondering if any out there have advise? Whitey is a two year old altered male ferret. He has always been normally healthy and active, although on the thin side. Three weeks ago I noticed some greenish, mucousy stool in the kennel. Being as I have four ferrets, I didn't know which ferret wasn't feeling well. The next day I found Whitey semi-consciencous with nasal discharge and slimey dark green diarrhea running from him. I immediately took him to the local animal hospital where he was admitted. Initial complete blood count was normal, however a chemistry panel showed increased ALT. Whole body xrays showed an enlarged liver. Parasites were ruled out with a fecal exam. He was put on IV fluids and monitored for three days. On discharge he had lost I would guess at least 50% of his body weight, he has no muscle mass. He was discharged with a presumptive diagnosis of ECE, and prescriptions for a five day course of Amoxicillan (0.3 mL twice a day) and Flagyl (0.2 mL twice a day). His liver had returned to normal size and his ALT had decreased to normal range. For two weeks I've been syringe feeding him liquified boiled chicken with Marshalls kibble pulverized in it. I feed him four times per day, a minimum of 20cc's per feeding. His greenish, watery stools continued for almost a week after discharge, then turned black & tarry. I treated this with two days of Pepcid AC. When the stools turned green and brownish but were still mucousy, I gave him one dose of Immodium AD. He continued to move his bowels but the color gradually changed from greenish to brown, seedy in texture to very soft but formed, sometimes frothy. His appetite is good and he drinks water fine, but he gets exhausted extremely easily. He sleeps 99% of the time and doesn't appear to have gained any muscle back, his entire rib cage, backbone and pelvis are evident. His hind quarters he can barely move, he drags himself around with his front legs. When I took him to the hospital he had nasal discharge from his left nostril, it was clear. He still has clear nasal discharge which alternates between his nostrils. His left eye has a watery and sometimes white mucousy discharge. I don't see any pink to indicate conjunctivitus. He is not sneezing or coughing. I have noticed in the past week that his heart rate seems extremely fast, faster than that of my healthy ferts. His respiration also seems irregulary fast, almost like he is panting with his mouth closed. I have also noticed that his rib cage, (where the human breast bone would be) is pushing outward as if an organ behind it was protruding. He's very 'barrel chested' now. He has lumps in his intestines that differ in size, most likely with when he had his last BM, but are always present. I don't know if I'm just noticing these lumps & bumps because he's so thin, or if something is really wrong. I'm about at wits end, I don't know what to do for him. $900.00 of a hospital stay and I still have a very weak and sick ferret. I understand that ECE can take its toll and recouperation can takes months, (I'll do whatever it takes) but are these symptoms that he still has normal? Every vet I've spoken to, each web page I search out gives me different answers. No one here in Rhode Island seems to know what to do. Am I doing everything right or wrong? Am I prolonging his misery? He's on no medication now and each day he does appear more alert and his eyes are bright. Will he make it through, is this unusual? My other three ferts are fat and happy, no signs of disease. Was this truly ECE then? Any advice, suggestions, anything to calm my nerves would be appreciated! Thanks, Leslie [Posted in FML issue 4690]