title: Treatment of proliferative colitis in ferrets.
abstract: Proliferative colitis associated with intracellular Campylobacter sp was diagnosed in 10 ferrets. The ferrets had a history of diarrhea (often blood-tinged or mucoid), dehydration, and chronic weight loss. Additional clinical signs included rectal prolapse, lethargy, fever, and a palpably thick colon. In 5 ferrets, the diagnosis was confirmed by colonic biopsy, via endoscopy. Supportive treatment in 5 ferrets did not alleviate the clinical signs or the proliferative intestinal disorder. oral chloramphenicol treatment (50 mg/kg of body weight, q 12 h for 10 to 21 days) resulted in marked clinical improvement and eradication of proliferative intestinal lesions in 5 ferrets.
authors.affiliation: Division of Comparative Medicine, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge 02139.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Krueger
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Fox
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002335:Carnivora; D002701:Chloramphenicol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003092:Colitis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000662:veterinary*; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology; D005289:Ferrets
chemical_list: D002701:Chloramphenicol