There is a recurrent form of Coccidia this year. If people can provide fresh specimens of such cases let me know with details about the cases and your general location, please, so I can pass along the info to see if yours are ones a pathologist looking at this Coccidia situation can use. The pathologist will be seeking why some of this year's infections are different than most years. Please, if you get this in your household or shelter DO isolate and don't let any ferrets in or out till multiple later checks and vet okay let you do so. Some people are losing multiple ferrets to Coccidia this year despite treatment. That happens sometimes. Many years ago a very nasty strain with huge simultaneous blooms of the parasite occurred, so it pays to remember that Coccidia can at times be worse than usual. Albon is the med of choice. This is not free diagnostic work; it is follow-up work that will happen vet to vet about known cases. --- Something a friend just wrote elsewhere reminded me of a little (but useful) note that we learned when giving oral chemo (one of the original Jeglum protocols for ferrets, and this was maybe 12 to 15 years ago). The tip: do NOT stand in front of the ferret. Stand to the side or behind. Why? Because I was standing in front when the ferret immediately vomited back the chemo drug -- completely into my mouth -- as I was reassuring him. Steve and I recall that even with that small amount and immediate spitting and rinsing the docs had me be careful to avoid any disease exposure to be safest, but not exactly what was done. It is just a little thing, but one of those little things that matters. It is also a good tip if giving a ferret any med which carries hazards for humans or to which you are allergic. --- It is important to NOT give any prescription medication without vet okay. At least CALL the vet, please, and ask for an emergency call-back or if the vet is away who is filling in during that time. Why? The human glucose meters are not necessarily reliable with ferrets. Worse, the symptoms of diabetes can look the same as those of insulinoma, but giving Pred to diabetic ferrets can cause serious, even fatal, problems. Every year we moderators at the FHL hear of at least one of these cases. -- Sukie (not a vet, and not speaking for any of the below in my private posts) Recommended health resources to help ferrets and the people who love them: Ferret Health List http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth FHL Archives http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ AFIP Ferret Pathology http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html Miamiferrets http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/ International Ferret Congress Critical References http://www.ferretcongress.org [Posted in FML issue 5289]