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| ECE is a highly contagious viral diarrhea noted for its bright green, slimy appearance, but may be any shade from yellow to green to brown. It was first seen in the eastern United States in 1993 and is spreading over North America, having been reported in almost every State. The agent is believed to be a corona virus, and can be passed either ferret to ferret, or carried by humans on hands or clothing after handling an infected ferret. It causes smelly slimy diarrhea that lasts one or two weeks and can cause severe weight loss and dehydration. In older and weak ferrets ECE is a greater threat and requires more intensive supportive care through its duration.
There are no diagnostic tests available for ECE. It is most often recognized via history and symptoms. Vomiting is often the first sign of infection. This is seen among ferrets 48 hours after exposure to a new ferret (who may have recovered from the disease but is still contagious). Several hours after the onset of vomiting, diarrhea begins. It is very important to watch for signs of dehydration by pinching the ferret's skin on the ribs or over the shoulder blades. If the skin does not immediately retract back to its normal position the ferret is probably dehydrated and should be seen immediately by a veterinarian. Fluids may be force-fed with a syringe several times a day to avoid dehydration. Weight loss is another serious concern among affected ferrets and force-feeding 3-10 ml of a high-fat, high-protein supplement (see below) every 3 hours is recommended. Diarrhea lasts one to two weeks and is followed by a period of more solid bowel movements that appear granular. Some compare the appearance of the stool to clumped birdseed. Damage to the intestinal wall through the course of infection reduces the ability of the ferret to absorb fats and proteins from its food. They are excreted in feces causing the grainy appearance. This can cause ferrets to fail to regain weight even after the diarrhea has cleared up. Continued supplementary, or force-feedings are recommended with high fat foods like whipping cream and/or raw egg yolk mixed with chicken or turkey baby food, fed at room temperature. Ferrets usually need to be forced to eat a new food several times before they begin to eat it willingly on their own, and a sick ferret often doesn't feel much like eating anyway; thus the need for force feeding. This can be done using either a syringe or an eye-dropper to draw up the mixture. Scruff the ferret and use the syringe to open the ferret's mouth and slowly squirt the food in, drop by drop. Feeding too quickly can cause the ferret to inhale the liquid food and can result in pneumonia. The risk of transmission is highest through ferret shows and other situations where large numbers of ferrets are congregated. When considering adding another ferret to your home, keep in mind that a ferret may be contagious for ECE for up to 6 months after symptoms resolve, so to prevent the new ferret from becoming infected you should wait until this time has passed before bringing home a new one. Ferrets should be watched for signs of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) after they have recovered from ECE. Some of these include continued granular stool, lack of weight gain, dry coat, and lethargy and often a very high serum lipase value. References: Dutton, M. "Epizootic Catarrhal Enteritis in Ferrets." Exotic Pet Practice 2 (1997):33-36. Williams, B. "Coronavirus-associated epizootic catarrhal enteritis in ferrets." JAVMA 217 (2000): 526-530. Recommended Links: Williams, B. "Epizootic Catarrhal Enteritis." http://www.afip.org/ferrets/ECE/ECE.html |
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