<TLE wrote>: >... But ferrets get canine distemper and they catch our flu. All warm >blooded animals can contract the rabies virus. What makes corona virus >species specific and not the others? I would like to know the answer to this as well. We had some boarders bring in *something* a while back and it's causing grainy, loosly formed stool, some better than others. No one has been really ill from it, everyone is eating, drinking, playing (there are 6 kits attacking my toes as I write this!) but we cannot figure out what it is. We thought: Parasite? and treated with Ivermectin. Nope. We pondered: Bacteria? and tried to culture a few fecal samples. The lab said "It's viral, boys and girls, but we don't know what it is." My vet said "Ask the FML if ferrets get something like a corona virus". So... Oddly, some ferrets don't get any symptoms. One old guy was here for a month or so, had adrenal surgery and never got it. Neither did the ferret he came in with. OTOH, a ferret who came to board was barely in the house a day, when she came down with it. We are doing our best to isolate any new ferrets and that seems to have some success, but we really are at a loss as to what this is. We've tried Clindamycin (sp?), Eurethramycin and Amoxi, Ivermectin, Pepto Bismal, Kaopectate....argh. Sheena Wherret Ferrets Halfway House and Ferretry Ferret Association of Greater Vancouver [Posted in FML issue 1635]