Mkaresq's Story

How we got started,
and the running of our shelter.

The up's & down's of running a shelter!

Also running a ADV shelter

            First to get things going :

        In Feb of '96 , we received a call from our vet stating that a certain pet shop had two (2) ferrets who they considered to old to sell , and they were biters.  They were to be euthanized the next day.  They became our first rescues.
      Since that time we have had over 984 ferrets pass throughout our home,   Some baby sitting , but most rescues.   We have made close to 556 adoptions from the time MKARESQ began.(Jan 1,1996)             We never dreamed that our facility would be of such importance
to the well being of these fuzzies , but over time , we have found that there is never an end to incoming  ferrets.

            On running our shelter :

        In the morning hour(5:00am) , before Mary and I go to work, our group (personnel's) get out and Play while mom (or I) clean their cages. Then off to work we go!! Until mom comes home and puts them to bed!!    Don't worry - they only get to run the kitchen & bedroom, where everything is ferret proofed !!    Then Mary sterilizes (with Bleach & Water) - wipes down everything we have touched - everything they (our Ferrets have touched) - then sterilizes the floors. walls, light switches, phone, refrigerator, and anything else we could touch!!! 

           Why????             ADV :
       On or around November of 1997  - We (Mkaresq) became ADV positive!  Here is Mary's Post  --

ALEUTIANS DISEASE/FERRET

Approximately a year ago our Care Home agreed to take in some ferrets. Place of origin is not really important. Upon arrival two of the ferrets became very ill. We assumed, of course, that it was shelter shock. We were the fifth home they had been in. I started the regular regime of feeding, but it didn't help. We had blood work done which proved nothing. We then went with x-rays which were also negative. We were baffled. The symptoms they displayed were that of hind leg weakness, loss of appetite and wasting away. I had heard of AD back in Oct of '97. A vet had stated that a ferret had passed from AD. He then retracted his statement because no blood work had been done. We decided to test for AD. We drew the blood from the two and sent it in. They came back positive. I called Dr. B. Williams. He said to retest through United. We then tested the two plus their cagemates. All four were returned positive. The next step was to test all ferrets in our Care Home. It was at this point that I placed the call to Gloria Davis. It was the hardest call I have ever had to make. Gloria was wonderful, as always. Her soothing voice helped keep me calm. To us, it seemed that everything we worked so hard for was tumbling down around us.

At that point in time there was not a lot of information about AD. Anything I read referred to euthanizing all positives. We did the four. I felt terrible. Mindy and Jane were asymptomatic. Afterward I went through the archives of my brain. Somewhere I had read that F.A.I.R. had had AD. I called Mary Van Dahm and spoke with her. Yes, they had AD approximately 10 years earlier. I received much information from her. No, you did not have to cull the positives. They could be kept in complete isolation. Of course, they could never be adopted out. That is the way I chose to go. In total we lost seven ferrets to this dreaded disease.

AD is a parvo virus that causes the ferret to produce antibodies. In most diseases this is good, not so with AD. The antibodies then deposit themselves in various internal organs. The kidneys, lungs and liver can be affected. AD also causes some degree of immuno-depression, which means that the ferret is unable to mount a defense against other illnesses.

AD is spread both vertically and horizontally. Jills pass it to kits through the placenta. (Vertical) Horizontal is through body fluids--saliva, blood, urine, feces and aerosol droplets through the lungs. The only true test for AD is the CEP. Blood is drawn and sent out for this testing at MIT or United Vaccines. It must be shipped overnight and a call placed to the lab to let them know the blood is on the way.

There is no cure for AD. There is no treatment. There is no vaccine. Dr. M. E. Bloom at the Rocky Mountain Laboratory of Persistent Viral Diseases is conducting a research study on AD. There are five known strains of AD and he believes he has found a sixth. If he does find a cure it will probably be at least two years from now. TOO late for my fuzzies, but not for others.

Oklahoma and Texas both have confirmed cases of AD. In Texas, 51 of 59 ferrets tested were positive. Alabama is also affected. For more information there is a website. It is www1.btwebworld.com/beechhouse/ferrets.htm There is information out there--you just have to hunt it down. I will keep trying to find out more.

One parting thought: Our positives are fine--for now. They show no signs of the disease. The day may come that they do and when that happens we will do what we have to. You see we have 15 personals and they are all positive. Four were originally shelter ferrets, but we kept them with ours instead of our other choice. I pray they live a long life.

Mary G. Mewton

            Then Came :

   I would like to convey to all my findings of ADV. First off, I must explain that we have been running an ADV positive/negative shelter for three years. In that time we have taken precautions with our positive ferrets to prevent the spread of this disease. The positives are in isolation and yet they are housed in the same facility-my home. They do share the same running area as the negatives. They get out to play before any shelter ferret. After their time is done they are put in their cages and the door shut. It is then that we start to sanitize. Mishaps are wiped up, the bowls are picked up and sprayed with bleach. A shower is taken and clean clothes are put on. The positive clothing is stored in a plastic bag-this includes the shoes. We then sweep the floor with the "positive" broom. A fresh bucket of bleach and water is prepared. A rag is used to sanitize door knobs, doors, chair legs, table legs, refrigerator handles, phone, light switches-in short-any place where we (or the ferrets) may have touched. Extra care is taken where the ferrets left us a "present". When this is finished, the entire floor is mopped. It doesn't stop there. The front room floor (which is wood) is completely mopped down. The reason being-we have walked there. It is then time to get out the shelter ferrets.

Does this mean that bleach will kill the ADV virus? It is the only sanitizer I have ever used.