Hello, I have a few questions about ECE. And I want some opinions on my hypothesis. I bought Stuff, the "cotton eating ferret" a year ago from a breeder in far east Texas called Covenant farms. The breeeder never mentioned anything about ECE, and I didn't ask. Stuff is doing fine, and is a great ferret. 3 Months ago I bought a shelter ferret. The proprietor of the shelter never mentioned ECE and I didn't ask. [the moral of the story is ASK! ASK! ASK!] Samwise is a pretty good ferret, but he has a very nervious disposition. Maybe he was abused. He has slowly but surely warmed up to us, and to the other ferrets. I took him out in public a week ago, and he was so nervious, he pooped on me. We will of course surround him with love and treats until he feels more comfortable. Anyway, Samwise has had Seedy stoles since we got him. I have since bringing him home, found that the shelter has had ECE. Now, on my end, I have had no definitive indicator that My ferrets have the ECE. All of them have and the occational loose stool. A little mucous here, a little green there. No anti-freeze poops or very smelly poops. I have a third ferret I am baby-sitting for the Summer. The ferret is about 4-6 years old, and I took it because at the time, I thought I was a ECE-free household. This little girl has been here 4 weeks with nothing unusual. I have brought Stuff to a friend's house that is ECE- free and now I might have been endangering her ferrets too... but none of them had any reactions. So, my question is: Is there anyway to test for ECE, to see if they have been exposed? (don't really think so, unless I take them to a known ECE carrier) I have several hypotheses: 1)None of my Ferrets have had ECE. 2)All of my ferrets have had ECE at some point. 3)Samwise has had ECE a long time ago (but he is only a year and a half) and he is no longer contagious for the virus. I am actually upset that the shelter did not warn me when I called looking for a ferret. Never warned me when I brought my other ferret over to meet her future housemate. But once again, I should have, and anyone reading this, should ASK if you have a question. Nathan -- Heather and Nathan Viles (Heather) [log in to unmask] (Nathan) [log in to unmask] http://www.smu.edu/~hmccowen http://www.smu.edu/~hmccowen/ferret.html [Posted in FML issue 1598]