Received some very useful information from Scott Perkins at Cornell which he has said I could pass on: >Sukie, > >Feel free to pass on my comments from several of your recent e-mails... > >Many of the sulfonamides, including Albon and sulfamethazine, are reported >to be effective against coccidia in ferrets and other species. I would >suggest following the recommended dosage schedule (up to 20 days) and >re-testing (several times, if necessary) versus treating for 1-2 month >duration or treating on and off for several months. I have only used the >small animal formulation of Albon in ferrets which is flavored and I >haven't had many problems with them taking it from a small syringe +/- a >little nutrical if necessary. Also, I would suggest making sure that the >ferrets are positive for coccidia prior to starting Albon versus treating >based on signs of diarrhea. I think all of this discussion on diarrhea, >coccidia, and Albon may lead people to treat their ferrets as soon as they >develop a little soft stool and without having any diagnostics performed. >The sulfonamides can have side effects and have shown to cause cleft >palates in utero in some rodent species. [Posted in FML issue 2455]