Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis in Ferrets
Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis (EGE)
This is an internal disorder seen mainly in young male ferrets, characterized by the abnormal accumulation of white blood cells in the intestinal wall and associated lymph nodes. The cause of this disease is unknown. Some of the symptoms include: Chronic weight loss Loss of appetite Lethargy Dark, tarry stools Intermittent vomiting Mucus-like diarrhea which may contain blood
Your vet will confirm the diagnosis by taking a full-thickness biopsy of the bowel during exploratory surgery, and also biopsies of the lymph nodes in the abdomen.
This is a baffling disease and one of our boys, Milo, has just been diagnosed with it.I have no idea if it's a terminal illness or if he's over the worst of it, but I will definitely keep a detailed record of his progress (or otherwise). To find out more, read
Milo's Story.
You can read more about Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis in ferrets on these sites … Gastrointestinal Disease in Ferrets by Susan Brown, DVM (Scroll down to Eosinophilic gastroenteritis) Diarrhea in Ferrets: Causes, Diagnosis and Treatment by Holly Nash, DVM, MS (Scroll down to Eosinophilic gastroenteritis)
Ferret Gastrointestinal Disease by Karen L. Rosenthal, DVM, MS (Scroll down to EGE)
Eosinophilic Enteritis by Bruce Williams, DVM
DISCLAIMER: The information contained on this page is not meant to replace seeing a veterinarian if you think your ferret is ill. It’s only meant to supply general information on a particular illness which was obtained either from personal experience with my sick ferrets, or from books and/or the Internet.
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