So Ramsey went to the vet yesterday and it was not good...

Poor Ramsey came to me as a sick baby at 2.5 months old. I nursed him back to health, but down the road he began to develop a lot of health issues. He had a very sensitive stomach, helicobacter at 2 years and now he went in for another checkup for not eating much and losing a significant amount of weight within 2-3 days. Due to Ramsey's history, my vet is assuming Ramsey has Aleutian disease (AD) although apparently, there is no cure or specific procedure to guarantee this. We also did a blood panel and currently awaiting results (I'll know in a week or less) and I hope it is good news that he will be alright.

Out of curiosity and to prepare myself for the worse, has anyone experienced this disease with their ferrets before? If so, what kind of procedures did you have to perform? Cost expectations?

Are you sure it's ADV  (Aleutian Disease )?    Maybe you are thinking of Adrenal disease

links on ADV

 http://www.ferretadv.com/


http://www.ferretuniverse.com/health/adv.html

http://www.veterinarypartner.com/content.plx?P=A&A=48

I'm positive my vet said it could be Aleutian disease. I checked numerous sources for adrenal disease symptoms, and my Ramsey doesn't have any of them (Surprisingly). 

I'm really sorry to hear about that if that is the case, wishing the best for you and Ramsey

I've been testing for ADV [Aleutian's Disease Virus] since 2001. I've had 11 positives using the CEP test. The CEP test is a blood test that costs only $10, it will look for the antibodies of Aleutian's Disease Virus, not the presence of the virus itself. Once you get an ADV positive to this test, the next 2 steps I take is to do two more tests with 2 wk intervals to verify the presence of the antibodies and the validity of the test. No test is ever 100%. Once convinced of a CEP ADV positive, I send blood, spit, urine and feces to either the U of Georgia, Michigan University, or another lab in the Northwest, the name of which escapes me right now. There a DNA test is done on the samples for the presence of the virus, this test is called a PCR. A PCR positive ferret should not be in the presence of other ferrets that are not ADV positive. Same safety steps taken as if the the ferret were infected with the flu or any other contagious potentially lethal disease. Testing is the only defense we have with this disease since perfectly healthy ferret can be actively carrying it and shedding it. It's important to know if your ferret has this disease because it's blood will not clot easily and the vet needs to not be blind sided by that should there be a simple procedure such as a tooth extraction or something more serious. An ADV positive ferret can and has lived a long an normal life in my observations, regardless of whether they were just CEP pos, or if they were full blow ADV PCR positive. I'll be glad to help in any way I can. Most of all, get those samples to a lab and verify the presence of the virus.....or.....not! Good luck!

Dir of Shelter Affairs for Rocky's
Parkton, Md.
www.rockysferrets.com