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Just like a good marriage, please understand that if you get a ferret — or ferrets 
— they are with you for better and for worse!
They will shower you with love and affection but you, in return, must promise to look after them in the good times, and in the bad … which means your wallet might look pretty anorexic after a bout of “bad times”.
One thing you’ll discover if you have ferrets – when they get sick, it happens very quickly, and you have to be prepared to rush them to the vet immediately.
And it is VITAL that the vet is ferret knowledgeable, so please make sure you find one in your area whom you’re happy with. I’ve prepared a list of ferret savvy vets from around the world so if you need to find one, check them out HERE.
However, if you take the time to really get to know your ferret/s well, then you’ll be instantly aware of any change in their behavior or if they suddenly appear off-color, and be able to whisk them down to the vet for prompt treatment.
There are a lot of diseases which ferrets can suffer from, including a number of cancers and they have been listed in the Medical Information page. I’ve also linked the headings below which have more information in the Medical Information page for easy reference.
Things you don’t have to worry about ferrets doing are….
Shivering or trembling when waking up … that’s something they all do as they adjust their metabolic rate. Of course if you find your ferret shivering in other situations, it’s “hi ho, hi ho, off to the vet we go“!
Stretch, yawn ‘n’ slide … this is so cute. A ferret might decide it’s time for a stretch, so it’ll reach up to its full length, say, against your bed, yawn, then slide down, ending up flopped on the floor. Don’t worry – it didn’t suddenly collapse or faint – it’s just something ferrets do!
Sleeping like the dead … you can even hang some ferrets upside down when they’re asleep and they won’t wake up. Not every ferret has the dead sleep habit – some are fairly light sleepers and probably wouldn’t appreciate finding themselves hanging head down!
Having said that, I must put a caveat on that statement. Sleeping like the dead is fine if you know your ferret is healthy.
HOWEVER … if you suspect your ferret has insulinoma and you find your ferret sleeping like the dead, then that is not good.
If that happens, get some karo syrup or honey and rub it on your ferret’s gums because if you don’t, your ferret could just slip away in its sleep.
Click here if you need to find out more about Insulinoma.
Scratching … some ferrets tend to scratch themselves quite often and it doesn’t mean they have a dreaded disease. Muis comes crashing out of the chest of drawers a couple of times a night and has a good old scratch, bell tinkling, then she gets back in. No disruption except to our sleep.
Vaccinations
Rabies
For those who live in countries where rabies is an issue, make sure your ferret has the vaccination at the necessary time. The first one should be given at 3 months and then your ferret needs a yearly booster.
In certain states in America, if a ferret just scratches someone with their tooth accidentally and the authorities confiscate the pet, they will euthanize it – regardless of the fact that the ferret has had all its rabies shots. Remember Kodo?
Canine Distemper
It’s important for all owners worldwide to make sure that their ferrets get their yearly canine distemper shots as this is a very unpleasant disease and is fatal.
In the US, they give kits shots at 6-8, 10-12 & 14-16 weeks and then at a year old. After that, they should have a booster annually.
Here in Perth (and I don’t speak for the rest of Australia), kits get 2 inoculations, a month apart, and then they must have their booster shots annually.
Check out the page on Canine Distemper for more information.
Some ferrets can get an allergic reaction so it might be wise not to rush away from the vet once your ferret has had an inoculation, just in case.
One thing I will mention was how Mash reacted with her first canine distemper shot. We took her to our vet and when he injected her, she gave the most angry, loud, penetrating scream I have ever heard in my life! It was so bad it hurt our ears.
No other ferret I’ve had ever made such a scream and after that one time, Mash didn’t do it again.
Quite extraordinary! I don’t know if the vet hurt her accidentially or she was so indignant about having a needle shoved into her. Poor little baby.
Spay / Neuter
Boys get really smelly when they’re about 6 months (sometimes even as young as 4 months) and start acting like absolute yobbos (Aussiespeak for unsociable hooligans), as described in the Breeding section..
Unless you want a stud for breeding purposes, you should get your boy sterilized once the smell starts getting pretty pungent and after about a week, once all the hormones have settled down, he will go from a brute with attitude to a sweet and gentle metrosexual fellah ?
The girls also smell slightly stronger if they’re not spayed but they certainly don’t have the disgusting habits that unsterilized boys do. However they do have the threat of aplastic anemia hanging over their heads in that state, so why risk anything?!
Of course some people like to take their jills to vasectomized hobs to bring them out of season but since the girls get dragged around the arena and come back smelling really bad after being with the boy, which in turn causes the girl to get beaten up by the other ferrets in your house, it hardly seems fair.
A quick visit to the vet and hallelujah, everyone is happy!
Ear Mites
Check your ferret’s ears if you see it scratching them excessively as it could mean ear mites.
Get a cotton bud (Q-tip) and gently clean inside the ear cavity. If the tip is covered with a black or orange goop and smelly, then treat the ferret with a suitable product recommended by your vet.
If you use Revolution regularly on your ferrets, it’d prevent ear mites from happening.
Fleas / Ticks
If you see movement on your ferret’s coat, or find little black flecks in the fur, then you can bet you have a flea problem. Don’t leave it as it will only get worse and could cause your ferret to develop anemia, in the worse case scenario.
Fleas will also happily take over your house, which really isn’t much fun!
When Revolution first came out, our vet recommended that we treated all our animals with it and told us it was safe to use 10 drops of the large dog solution for each of our ferrets.
WAFFS now have specially prepared tubes of a single dose of Revolution to use on each ferret. The dosage for girls is 0.2 ml, while the boys get 0.25 ml.
I have since heard other vets recommend using a tube of the 5-15lb cat dose of Revolution per ferret per month. Apparently Pfizer did a small trial with the 0-5lb kitten size tube and found it was not 100% effective in preventing heartworm in ferrets, whereas the 5-15lb cat size tube was.
Check with your vet to find out the best product to use to use on your ferret.
Flea collars are NOT to be used on ferrets. They (or their mates) could easily lick the substance off and poison themselves
If you find the fleas have infested your house, buy the necessary amount of flea bombs, get your pets out, follow the instructions on the can and make sure you kill the problem. Make sure you vacuum the floor/carpets extremely well afterwards so that no residue is left which could harm your pets.
There is a homeopathic recipe for the treatment of fleas which you can make yourself by mixing 1 oz of lavender oil diluted into 4 oz of water. Put it into a spray bottle for easy use.
Another recipe is mixing one bottle of Halo’s Cloud Nine herbal dip with 1 gallon of water. The dip contains many natural oils which repel and kill fleas.
I confess that haven’t tried either of those out myself.
Ticks, which look like black moles on the skin, have to be removed carefully so that you don’t leave any part of the tick still attached to your ferret. Frontline’s Top Spot is good for getting rid of fleas and ticks.
Remember that ticks can cause Lyme disease, so make sure you check your ferret carefully if you live anywhere where ticks could be a problem.
There’s a detailed article about flea control for ferrets written by Dr Susan Brown on the VIN website.
I also saw this post on a forum which might be of interest to some of you 🙂
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Because fleas can cause serious health problems, every effort should be made to eliminate them. If you have cats or dogs that habitually go outside, they will continually carry fleas back into the house in temperate seasons. If the ferret is allowed to play in the same areas as the cat or dog, it will quickly be infested. .
Flea control chemicals
Pyrethrins, which are relatively safe even on baby kits, act as flea repellents and kill adult fleas. Products containing pyrethrins and similar ingredients, such as resmethrin are available in many forms including powders and sprays. Use a product that is labeled for use in ferrets, unless your veteriarian directs you to use a product ‘off-label’ An off-label product is one that is not licensed for use in a certain species or for a certain condition, but may be prescribed for such use by a veterinarian, such as Advantage.
Imidacloprid, the ingredient in Advantage blocks nerve transmission in adult fleas, immediately killing them. Advantage is available as a topical liquid that can be applied to the skin once a month. It then spreads to the rest of the animal’s skin, and is resistant to the effects of water in the form of rain, swimming, or baths. It kills larvae as well as adults, so is able to bring a heavy infestation of fleas under control fairly quickly. It has no effect on the eggs in the environment, of course, and they will continue to hatch, so the flea problem is not solved until all eggs have hatched and the adults contact the pet and the Advantage. If used monthly, this treatment will probably also control ear mites. It is not labelled for use in ferrets, but to my knowledge, no adverse effects have been reported.
The disadvantage to using these chemicals alone is that they do not affect the flea eggs. Eliminating all the intermediate stages in the life cycle (eggs, larvae, and pupae) required several weeks of intense effort, and preventing re-infestation of the house meant constant vigilance. In the last few years, flea control has become much easier because of new types of chemicals on the market that interrupt the life cycle of the flea. The new chemicals are safe for humans and even very young animals because they mimic hormones or enzymes that are present only in insects. They include lufenuron, Precor, and Nylar.
Lufenuron (pronounce loo-fen-your-on) is an insect developmental inhibitor. Its familiar trade name is Program® (Novartis). Program is available in an oral suspension for cats that may be used off-label, under direction by a veterinarian, to treat ferrets. Be aware that this product, like all other flea control products, is not labelled for ferrets. The manufacturer has no responsibility for any adverse effects that may result from treating animals other than those named on the label. To my knowledge, no reactions have been reported in treated ferrets.
Lufenuron is absorbed by the treated dog, cat, or ferret, and biting fleas get a dose of it with their blood meals. The eggs of treated fleas are damaged so that they do not hatch. This prevents the ordinarily rapid increase in numbers of young fleas in your house, but has no effect on the adults that are already there. The life span of an adult flea is at least a few months. If Program alone is used as flea control for animals that are already infested, it will take several months to eliminate all fleas from the house, because adult fleas are not affected. Program works best as a preventive, or in combination with other products that kill adult fleas on the animal and in the environment. Remember that all pets must be treated or there will be a constant source of fertile eggs hatching.
Precor and Nylar are insect growth inhibitors which can be found in products formulated for use on carpets and animal bedding. Some products are available which can be used directly on the animal and contain both a growth inhibitor and an insecticide. Growth inhibitors have no effect on people or pets, and they do not kill adult fleas, but they prevent the flea eggs from hatching and the larvae from pupating and turning into adults. Using the combination of a separate growth inhibitor with an insecticide that kills adults brings a flea problem under control very quickly compared to the old methods of bathing, dipping or spraying the pet, and using sprays, bombs, or powders in the house for several months. Best of all, the new chemicals are much safer for animals and people.
It is possible to use traditional flea products to control fleas on ferrets, but they do not like to be sprayed and must be held firmly or scruffed to get a thorough treatment. Most are not fond of baths either, and the once-a-month treatment is very much simpler and safer than any of the traditional methods. Although ferrets are very resistant to the toxic effects of insecticides, many people and cats are not.
Organic products that are relatively, but not absolutely, non-toxic are available to kill fleas. The most popular and probably most effective is D-limonene, a citrus product that both repels and kills adult fleas. It is applied in the form of shampoos that have a pleasant citrus odor. However, D-limonene is not nearly as effective as Advantage or pyrethrins at killing adult fleas, and will not bring a heavy infestation under control without using some other form of treatment, such as growth inhibitors.
If you have any pets that go outside, all animals in the house will need to be treated during the warm months to prevent fleas infestation.
To speed up the elimination process, remove all fabric bedding from the ferret’s cage or nest and wash it. The litter box in the cage should be emptied and cleaned as usual. Cage cleaning and then treating with Precor or Nylar makes a huge difference in the number of eggs and larvae that will develop into adults.
It is very difficult to treat every part of the house that a ferret can access, so it is still important to vacuum thoroughly to pick up eggs, pupae, and larvae from ferret trails. The vacuum cleaner bag should be changed frequently, and sealed in a plastic bag before disposal in case it contains live and fertile fleas.
Various ‘Worms’ to Worry About
Worms
You would probably notice if your ferret had worms when checking through the litter tray. If you have your ferret dosed with Revolution regularly, you shouldn’t have any problems with worms.
Check the Internal Parasites page for detailed information on what kind of worms ferrets can get.
Ringworm
Ringworm is caused by a fungus and can be transmitted by direct contact with an infected animal or contact with a brush, bedding, etc. Humans can also get ringworm from an infected animal so it’s not a parasite you’d want to ignore!
If you find your ferret has a bald, round lesion which is scaly in the center and the skin appears thick, red and crusty, you had better take your ferret to the vet to have it treated.
Heartworm
Unfortunately ferrets can get heartworm and it’d only take one wretched worm in their hearts to kill them.
If you are already using a monthly dose of Revolution, then that should take care of any heartworm worries. If not and you live in an area with a lot of mosquitoes, then check with your vet for a suitable heartworm product.
There’s more information about heartworm here.
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Heatstroke
Ferrets DO NOT have sweat glands and really suffer in high temperatures.
If you have your ferret housed outside in a cage, please make sure there’s enough ventilation and shade to protect the ferret.
During the hottest days, make sure you spray your ferret and also leave a wrapped up bottle of water which has been frozen to help cool the cage down.
Also never leave a ferret, or any other animal for that matter, in a locked car with the windows up during hot days.
You can read more about heatstroke in ferrets here.
Declawing / Defanging
My personal opinion is that both are barbaric practices and should not be contemplated by a ferret owner unless a veterinarian declares it necessary, although why a vet would I don’t know.
Declawing involves the surgical removal of the claw and the bone it is attached to. Amongst other things, the procedure would mean that your ferret couldn’t grasp anything and certainly couldn’t climb up anywhere.
Defanging is just plain awful. I saw a defanged ferret once – some drongo (Aussiespeak for an absolute dimwit) had broken its canines with pliers because it had bitten him!
Descenting
When a ferret gets scared or angry, it lets off what I term a “stink bomb” or “poof” like most members of the mustelid family do.
Unlike a skunk, the smell doesn’t take long to dissipate but like with all things, different people have different smell thresholds.
Descenting is the removal of the anal sacs and therefore eliminates the “stink bomb” from going off.
The vets I have dealt with in Western Australia think descenting is unnecessary and wouldn’t do it unless it was necessary for health reasons.
Shedding and Hair Loss
Spring and fall are the seasons when ferrets tend to lose hair, shedding their winter coats for summer ones, and vice versa.
If you have an older ferret, their coats can often look all moth-eaten and thin, and their tails can lose hair from the tip up so that it resembles a rat’s tail.
Hair loss on a ferret can be a worry and if it comes at a different time to the change in seasons, and you have a young ferret, then it would be a good idea to take it to the vet to make sure there’s nothing sinister happening.
If during the molt you notice blackheads on your ferret’s tail, or that it’s looking pretty grotty, just get some gentle ferret shampoo and give your little friend a bath. That should clear up the problem … but don’t wash your ferret often, as that will cause the skin to dry out and go itchy.
General Health Tips
Bumps and Lumps
Scruff your ferret and gently run your hand down the length of its body. If you feel any suspicious lumps or bumps, take it to the vet for a check up.
Warts
Yes, ferrets can get warts and they are easily treated by the vet. However if you find a wart-like lump, please take your ferret to the vet to check out as it might be a mast cell tumor. They are usually benign and can be removed easily.
And, never, ever treat the wart with wart ointment for humans. The son of friends of ours did just that and his ferret died a painful death after licking the ointment off.
Coat and Skin
Check the condition of your ferret’s coat and skin. Coats should be glossy and shiny, while skin should be pink and healthy looking.
Teeth and Gums
Check your ferret’s teeth just to see that they’re okay. A yellow tooth could mean it’s broken and that might cause problems. Brown scum at the top of the tooth by the gums is tartar build-up and might warrant a trip to the vet for a scale job.
Make sure the gums are pink and healthy-looking. White gums are a sign of anemia.
If your ferret has bad breath, it might be something more than gum or tooth problems, so it deserves a visit to the vet.
You could give your ferret the tips of fresh chicken wings to munch on as a flossing alternative. However I found that my lot wouldn’t eat them, they just stashed them away in my chest of drawers! As I got pretty sick of finding wings in my underwear, I stopped giving them out.
Check the section on Dental Problems for more information.
Eyes
Your ferret’s eyes should be bright and clear. Cloudy eyes mean cataracts, which is not a big deal in itself, as ferrets can scoot around the house quite happily if they’re blind.
There’s more about cataracts on the Cataracts & Blindness in Ferrets page.
Poop
I wonder if any other pet owners are as anally fixated like us ferret ones! We all seem to get neurotic about the shape and color of poop, seriously!
If your ferret’s poop looks like brown toothpaste which has just been squeezed out, then everything is cool.
If it’s any other color or texture, take your ferret to the vet.
Click here for more information about ferret poop.
Poisons / Toxins
I don’t know why they say curiosity killed the cat because that expression should apply to ferrets first and foremost!
They are incredibly curious and that in itself could cause them harm.
Treat your ferret like you would a wilful toddler and make sure all dangerous things are kept out of their reach.
For instance, there have been cases of ferrets dying after they’d got hold of a blister pack of aspirins, scratched the foil and licked the pills. The owners were unaware of what happened so didn’t rush the ferret to the vet for immediate treatment.
There are also a number of plants and household goods which are dangerous to pets so please make sure your pet can’t get to them.
Having said that, I wonder how many ferret owners still keep house plants in their houses – hmmm!
More information on both subjects here.
Here are some articles about ferret health which are worth reading …
All About Ferret Pain And Distress by Bob Church (Ferret Magazine)
An Owner’s Guide to Ferret Health Care by Mary Van Dahm
Ferret Health (Wikipedia)
The advice below was submitted by a ferret owner, which could be helpful. Unfortunately we cannot get Blue Wilderness chicken for cats in Australia so I must see if I can find another brand as a substitute; however I have found Opti MSM here in Oz so will be getting that to put in my babies’ water bowls!
Mix Gerber’s chicken and gravy baby food with water to make a soup and give to them twice a day, but also leave hard food out for them — preferable Blue Wilderness chicken for cats. This should keep them healthy.
I’ve had 9 ferrets and have only been to the vet twice in the past 6 years! Once to put my oldest 10 to sleep because he had pain when urinating and he was too elderly for an operation; and one younger ferret because she has some calcium stones in her bladder and had to get antibiotics.
Make sure it is Opti MSM as the processing of the MSM makes a major difference in the quality. Also most ferret food and cat food use peas as the binder — this causes calcium stones so Blue Wilderness chicken cat food in the bag is the best bet.
The ferrets must have a wet protein as well — Gerber chicken and gravy with water is the purest protein, with no fruits or veggies added (which ferrets cannot digest).
You have to usually feed them off your fingers to start them on the baby food to get them used to it but after that they go crazy for it 😀
(Lisa B)
My ferret has some thing in his face but i have no idea what it except flys or magots can u help thanks
Tristan, I think this is something for a (ferret) vet to check out. I can’t help you, I’m afraid, as if it’s something which needs to be removed, only a vet can do that.
Whatever you do, do NOT use any medication for humans on your ferret as if he licks it, it could kill him.
If you need a ferret vet, please check out my Vets pages to see if there’s one near to where you live. I’m slowly going through all those pages to update them but hopefully the information won’t be too outdated!
Good luck and big hugs to your boy from his new friends down under 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
My ferret has been chewing /itching on his back these are my first ferrets and I’m not sure what it’s from he has some hair Loss in between his shoulders ?????
Tiffany, I’m not sure what is causing the hair loss on your ferret so would suggest you take him to a (ferret) vet to be checked out.
It could be that it’s caused by flea bites, or maybe his skin is too dry (have you been washing him often?), or it might be a sign of adrenal gland disease 🙁
Only a vet will be able to tell you definitely what’s wrong. I hope it’s nothing serious!
Hugs to you guy from his new friends down under 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
Well the people before me had them on junk food so they refuse ferret food but they will eat cat food do you might think it’s their diet ?
I know cat foods not good for them but I don’t want them to starve :/
Hi Tiffany
I can’t get good quality ferret food in Australia so I’ve been giving them Iams chicken cat food since 1994, and they do fine on it. You can give them good quality cat food but not the stuff you get in supermarkets.
You might enjoy these articles about feeding ferrets …
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/ferrets/a/feedingferrets.htm
http://exoticpets.about.com/od/ferretcare/i/naturaldiets.htm
Cheers
~Nona
Hi we are having an issue with fleas on our ferret, he was treated with advantage as recommended by the vet 2 weeks ago and is covered in them again…. is there a better product to be using?
Hi Brenda
When I had a flea problem I found Revolution to be the best product. Got rid of fleas on my ferrets, dog, & cats and I didn’t have any trouble afterwards.
Just scroll up here to “Fleas / Ticks” and you can see what kind of Revolution you should get for your ferret 🙂
If you think the fleas have got into the carpet/furnishings, please think about getting a pack of “flea bombs” and place them in the rooms of your place. Once it’s safe to go inside again, you can vacuum the floor and then get your ferret back inside.
If you have other animals, make sure you put Revolution on them too before “bombing” your house.
I’m pretty sure that will clear up the fleas in no time 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
Well I got home from work and let my ferret out to play on my bed. I noticed his eyes seemed glued shut even when moving a bit. So I applied very slight pressure by the eye and what looked to be mucus came out in a decent load. I’m not sure what to think or if I should be worried.
Oh William, please take your little guy to a vet as soon as possible!
I think he might have an eye infection and if he gets put on antibiotics, it’ll clear up and both you and he can breathe a sigh of relief and not worry yourself sick 😐
I do know that sticky eyes is also a sign of canine distemper but, God willing, that isn’t the problem 🙁 However take a look at the symptoms and if you think your little guy has this disease, you MUST take him to the vet ASAP!
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/canine-distemper-in-ferrets.html
Um my ferrets right eye doesn’t want to stay open. And i don’t know what it is or what to do. It just started today HELP!
Antashia, is your ferret’s eye still shut? If so, please take it to a vet to get checked out.
It could be that the eyeball got scratched somehow and *might* get better by itself but if the scratch becomes infected, your ferret will need antibiotics and if you leave it, it could make things worse 🙁
If you need a ferret vet, please check my pages re vets. Hopefully you’ll find one near to you!
We just got a pair of lovable varmints and one of them seems to be a lot mellowed than the other and tires out faster. I am chalking it up to personality differences, but my wife is getting worried. Should I be?
Hi David
Are both your babies the same age? Young ferrets’ “on” switch goes for far longer than an older ferret’s so if there’s a difference in age, that could be the reason.
However it’s hard for me to say definitely if you should be worried. The best thing is to take your little one to a (ferret) vet to get checked out – ferrets do hide their illnesses so by the time you notice something’s wrong, it could be too late. Better safe than sorry 😉
Hope that’s not the case with your friend!
Hugs to your dynamic duo from their new friends down under 😀
Cheers
~Nona
Yeah, they’re from the same litter (do they call them litters? So much to learn!) mid August birthday. I’ll look at him tonight, if he’s still acting different we’ll take him in. Time to get a vet anyway
Yes, litters are litters in ferret-speak too 😀
Good idea to keep an eye on him … I’ve recently updated all my US ferret vet pages so hopefully you’ll find a good one near to where you live 🙂
Got home from work and he had diarrhea (or at least it looked different) took him in this morning and he had a respiratory infection. Getting treatment right now. Thanks for the help and cool sight.
So glad to hear that you got the vet to check your boy out, David!
Hopefully the antibiotics will kick in quickly and you’ll have a pair of zany little critters racing around, causing much laughter and – of course – much love 😀
Am always glad to be of help – feel free to ask away if you need advice 🙂
Hey, Nona
My ferrets like to throw food around their cage before eating it off of the floor, or if the one is in a huff! Occasionally their water bottle will leak and mix with the food, creating a gross paste at the bottom. This can usually be cleared up in a matter of seconds, however, just a few minutes ago I went to clean some paste that had been left for only one day, just to find it had little white worms in it! Should I be more worried about my ferrets or the few flies that come in through my windows? Will the insects harm them? Will my ferrets eat them? I’ve watched ferrets for almost four years now and this has NEVER happened!
Hi my little guy bandit is 8 years old. Some days he acts like he can’t walk and just lays in my arms and I just baby him. But then the next day he seems fine. This has happened several times. I have also noticed his claws on the hind legs have become very thick. I don’t know what’s up, because he always jumps back to normal self.
Eeeuww! It really sounds gross to see maggots wriggling around in that paste as you described, Michelle!
I really don’t think it’d be good for your ferrets to have them in the cage – bleh 😮
Is there any way you can change the water bottle around so that it didn’t drip on the food? Have you tried using a heavy ceramic bowl instead of a water bottle? I guess the ferrets would use it as a bath and the water would splash about and make things worse 🙁
Not sure what else to suggest other than putting flywire on your windows, if that’s possible.
I’ve heard that Revolution kills internal parasites in ferrets, as well as fleas and mites, so it might be an idea to use that on your gang as worms can make an animal sick.
I do hope you manage to stop this from happening and am sorry I can’t give you any concrete suggestions!
Hugs to your gang from their friends down under 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
Hi Tanya
I do know that insulinoma can affect a ferret’s hind legs so am wondering if that’s what’s wrong with Bandit. Maybe he has a drop in his sugar levels which make him feel so bad he can’t walk, then the levels stabilise and that’s why he bounces back.
Normally if a ferret has a insulinoma “event” the owner has to rub honey or karo syrup on its gums to get them back to normal so the fact that you don’t have to do that makes me wonder if it *is* insulinoma or something else totally different.
I don’t know why his nails on his back feet would be thick though 🙁
You can check out my page about this wretched disease and see if Bandit has any other symptoms …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/insulinoma-in-ferrets.html
I would strongly suggest you take Bandit to the vet to be checked out. If it is insulinoma, the vet will put him on Pred and that should regulate his sugar levels and hopefully he won’t have days when he feels so bad that he can’t move.
Big hugs for Bandit – I hope he gets better soon!
Cheers
~Nona
Thank you for your help, nonetheless. I have taken to vacuuming or sweeping underneath the bowl before the paste forms instead of wiping it up afterwards. They don’t seem to be any different and I am hoping it was just a one-time thing!
Your site is a big help, thank you!
That’s great news, Michelle 😀
So glad you find the site helpful – you’re most welcome and thanks so much for telling me! It means a lot 🙂
HI Nona,
I have a ferret named Cinder Ella.She is about four years old. I (or should I say she)have also had issues with fleas.I took her to All Pets Hospital for this and to just get her checked out.She has always been very small compared to other ferrets I’ve seen. The vet told me that she was great. Very healthy and well behaved. Lol! Anyway,her weight in March was 1.78lbs. The vet recommended revolution, and since I was worried about using to much and making her sick,by the vet had it measured for her weight. It seemed to work for a couple to three weeks only,so I called the vet and she said I could go ahead and put another dose on Cinder.It seemed to work for less time each time. Well,I have now run out and am wondering what I should do, cause the fleas are back and she’s itching like crazy. I try not to bathe her more than once a month cause that’s what I was told is best. I use a natural non-soap shampoo and yes most of the fleas seem to die or at least she gets some relief, but it’s not enough. Do you think I should use the Dawn or Frontline, or should I go back to the vet? Just need an opinion from someone who seems to know about this situation.
Thank you for taking the time to help all of us dummies! I have enjoyed reading your posts.
My clock obviously is not set right cause it’s 4:42pm.At least here in Louisiana that is. Lol.
Hi Keri
It’s really good to know your little girl has been given a clean bill of health by her vote but troubling to hear that the Revolution hasn’t really fixed her flea problem 🙁
Do you know where the fleas are coming from? Did you flea bomb your house at all to kill the eggs that might have been laid?
When we had that horrible flea infestation in our house years ago, I took all our animals out and flea bombed the whole house. Then I put the Revolution on the dog, cats and ferrets but didn’t let the animals back in until I vacuumed the place thoroughly. After that we had no problems with fleas!
To be honest, I don’t know what the other products are like, never having used them.
Did you read that article about flea control by Dr Brown on this page? It talks about the different products so might be helpful 🙂
Another thing which I thought of is a post which a reader named Lucia put on my Natural Remedies page, talking about a certain type of shampoo which helped her itchy ferret …
“I then thought to try some colloidal oatmeal instead of her ferret shampoo and it has been amazing! It completely cleared her skin irritation, and on top of that it left her feeling much softer after bath times.”
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/natural-remedies-for-ferrets.html
Maybe if you got that to wash your girl it’d help?
I really think you should try and find the source of the flea problem and once you get rid of that, then the Revolution should work fine!
I’m really glad you’ve enjoyed my site and I appreciate you telling me that!
Hope my suggestions help and please give your girl a big hug from her new pals down under 😀
Cheers
~Nona
Hi, my new ferrets are both infected with giardia, they are marshells kits, I got them a week ago, we informed the petco, and they got them two weeks ago. If anyone else has any new kits from marshells, mine are 2 months old, and not showing symptoms. We took them in for a checkup and found out, the meds are only like $40, getting them checked is a bit more, but it can be deadly to ferrets, so be sure to get your kits checked!
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Rain, I’m really sorry to hear that your two babies had giardia but wonderful that you took them to a vet and got them fixed up! I’m so surprised that pet stores are allowed to sell kits that aren’t healthy 🙁
Thanks so much for posting that photo of them – they are absolutely gorgeous
The pet store didn’t know, they tracked down the third ferret who was with Koda and Koby, and got him fixed up aswell. There still might be more sick babies though, so hopeful they can all be tracked down!
My ferret has a flat black thing as long as her toe. I don’t know if it’s attached to the skin or the fur. Is it safe to take off?
Morgan, I honestly don’t know what to suggest. What kind of flat black thing is it?
If it’s attached to the fur then yes, it should be fine to pull off.
However if it’s attached to its skin, then you’d best be very cautious about removing it in case it’s something like a tick. If you pull it off you might leave bits attached and that could cause a problem. The safest bet is to take your ferret to the vet and have it removed by them.
Good luck!
i have a ferret [sammy] who is 4 years old, and is extreamly healthy and strong. the only thing that worries me about him, – is that instead of brown crust below eyes.. – it is red colored. does any one know of what that is? much help aperchiated, thanks.
Hi Brandi, I’m not sure I understand what you mean by Sammy having “red colored” crust below his eyes.
Do you mean the colour of the fur under his eyes? If you do mean that then please don’t worry – the different colour of fur is just a genetic thing and nothing to worry about.
If he actually has something crusty under both his eyes, then you should take him to the vet for a check up!
Big hugs to Sammy from his new buddies down under 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
Hi, I have a male ferret ( Columbus ) he’s 1 yrs old. I just started noticing small bits of brown/ red crust in his eyes. It’s in the spot where ppl have sleep in there eyes. He’s eating awesome , drinking not really playing as much but I think that’s because he’s gain sooo much weight for the winter so Mabey that’s slowing him down. But the eye thing is really bugging me cause I don’t know if it’s something I should worry about or not.
We think your sight is awesome by the way 🙂 were real animal lovers as well 🙂
Hi Jen & Chris
I would suggest that you get Columbus checked out by a (ferret) vet in case the goop is due to an eye infection or even because of a cracked molar at the back of his mouth! Does his breath smell bad at all? If it does then that would suggest it was a bad tooth :/
I’m sure that if it is something which is troubling him, once the vet finds the source and fixes it then your boy will be back to his usual weaasel wardancing self 😀
Hugs to Columbus from his new buddies down under!
Cheers
~Nona
I’m so glad you like it!
thank you . Nope no bad teeth, all healthy 🙂 the day I saw it starting I called the vet. But im still trying to pay vet bills.an I can’t pay them until next week. Until that happens they won’t see him 🙁
In the mean time, should I get some saline eye drops + neosporn ?
What would you suggest ?
Great to hear that it’s not a dental problem! 🙂
I personally don’t know what neosporn is … ooops, just googled it! Which type of Neosporin were you planning to get? I can’t imagine any would be good for Columbus’ eyes as the ones I saw were “wound care, eczema care & lip care products”! I didn’t see anything for eyes.
I do know that collodial silver is apparently good to use on an animal’s eyes as it’s an antibiotic and safe …
http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/colloidal_silver.html
I also found this information which I hope will be helpful …
The type of discharge you are describing is usually associated with an eye infection. It usually will not clear up on its own and requires an antibiotic ointment prescribed by your vet. Usually vets prescribe an ointment called “neo-poly-bac” which is an ointment used directly in the eye. A call to your vets office and you may be able to just go in and pick up the prescription without the hassle of an office visit if your vet is anything like mine. If not, you will have to make him an appointment and have him examined. I would suggest that you do this as soon as possible. Left untreated the infection can and will cause serious eye problems including blindness.
In the meantime you can help by keeping his eyes clean. Use a warm (not hot) cloth to gently clean the eyes thoroughly. Do not rub the eyeball itself but clean as much of the “gunk” out of his eyes as possible. You will need to do this eight or more times a day (even if eyes are not crusted shut) until you can get to your vets office. Your vet should explain how to use the ointment and how often. Basically you will clean his eyes thoroughly each morning and place a small amount of ointment into the eye. Rub gently to insure it gets into the eyeball area. Your vet can decide whether it needs to be done once a day or twice a day.
http://www.justanswer.com/pet/06vrw-ferrets-eyes-getting-glued-shut-gunk-2-3-times.html#re.v/328/
One of the symptoms of canine distemper are goopy eyes so I hope that’s not what’s causing Columbus’ problem. His vaccinations are all up-to-date, aren’t they? I do hope so as canine distemper cannot be cured 🙁
Hope you manage to heal his eyes naturally so that you don’t need to see the vet 🙂
Hi everybody,
I am struggling to find what my Ferret has and my doctor is checking with other doctors to see if they know more about this.
Maybe from your experience you can advise me.
Mitso, is an albino ferret, she is almost 8 years old and she has been very healthy without any serious issues before.
1 week ago, she started throwing up and was not moving or eating. We did a therapy with the doctor to stop the vomiting and she took some painkillers also and now she is much better. She can move, eat and drink. When she wakes up, she is very energetic, like she always been, with no signs of any issues. After usually 10-15 min, she starts to behave very strange. She looks dizzy, she is losing her balance, her back legs are shaking and she is collapsing on her stomach. We give her water (with some sugar), food and she is eating and drinking but she is not recovering. She start to shake also and we are putting her back in her bed to rest.
After some hours (2-3) she is waking up and the whole thing starts again.
Do you believe this is insulinoma? My doctor thinks that after the food and water she should be better if was insulinoma and for that reason we have not started a prednisolone thereapy.
Any advise will be much appreciated.
Thanks
Yiannis
Hi Yiannis
I am so sorry to hear about Mitso – the poor little thing 🙁
It certainly seems to be insulinoma IMHO. If you look at my Insulinoma page, it seems like Mitso has a number of symptoms which are listed there …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/insulinoma-in-ferrets.html
Are you in the States? Why I ask is because there’s a very experienced ferret vet in Maryland who is always happy to help vets if they have a puzzling case so you might want to give his details to your vet. He told me he’s always happy to help and gave instructions on what to say in the subject line so that it doesn’t go into the spam folder. Here are his details …
Jeffrey Rhody, DVM
Lakeside Veterinary Center, LLC
8693 Cherry Lane
Laurel, MD 20707 US
Phone : (301) 498-8387
Fax : (301) 498-0816
http://www.lakesidevc.com/
He said …
“You can always reach me if you need to via my email, which is lakesidevc1 AT verizon DOT net
I would only ask that you put something regarding “ferret” / “ferret question” or something like that in the title line because I get so much spam I often delete it, and I don’t want your message to be deleted and I’ll try to get back to my emails as soon as possible.
But if your vet has any questions they can certainly reach me via VIN or via the email and I’d be glad to answer their questions. I do a lot of consulting on the phone as well.”
I hope you manage to find out what’s troubling Mitso so that she improves. There’s nothing more stressful that having a sick ferret, is there 🙁
If you find out that Mitso does have insulinoma, check out the link on my page called “Ferrets and Insulinomas by David McCluggage, DVM, CVA (WellVet.com)”. He talks about giving your ferret a special meat-based diet & certain supplements. When I first read that, we couldn’t get Diabenil in Australia but now we can – however it’s very expensive 😮
Touch wood, I haven’t had a ferret with insulinoma for several years now so I haven’t actually tried the supplements recommended in that article on any of my guys; but I do have a very bald girl with adrenal problems ATM and she is doing really well on the supplements I’m giving her so I honestly believe they can help our sick ferrets.
Hope that’s been of some help to you.
Please give Mitso a big hug from her new friends down under 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
Thank you very much Nona for you great advise. Much appreciated.
I am based in UK but i will try and send a note to the doctor you mentioned.
Mitso is a brave girl and she is trying hard to fight it every day. Is very heart breaking watching her wanting to play or walk and not being able.
Hope that she can be OK soon and start jumping and running a round as she used to.
Thanks
Yiannis
Yiannis – another thought. I would strongly recommend giving her a daily smoothie with a couple of supplements to help her. Milk Thistle is excellent to help the liver and a vet suggests that DMG (dimethylglycine) “can provide wonderful positive benefits to humans and animals”. And I quote …
““DMG for Seizuring Animals
“Ferrets with Insulinoma
“DMG increases the threshold for seizures and can reduce seizures in all types of animals. In some cases, if DMG is added to a seizuring animal’s therapy, it may decrease the amount of anticonvulsants required by an animal. This can be very beneficial for ferrets suffering from insulinoma, until the blood sugar issues are under control. Diet plays a huge role in helping stabilize a ferret suffering from insulinoma, and Young Again Ferret Food is one very positive step in improving the health of a ferret. In some cases, an insulinoma may present as a solitary tumor in the pancreas, but for most ferrets, the lesions are microscopic infiltrates, and surgery is not considered the best way to treat this condition. Some veterinarians recommend surgically removing approximately 1/3 of the pancreas, usually the tail of the pancreas, however, the pancreas is a delicate organ and surgery is not always beneficial.”
http://www.exoticpetvet.net/dvms/dmg.html
I actually give my guys about 1/16th teaspoon of DMG in their smoothie, together with 3 drops of milk thistle so if you could get those two supplements and start giving Mitso a daily smoothie, I’m sure it would help her. Just get some NO LACTOSE milk, add an egg yolk and those supplements, mix it really well and serve. Hopefully she’ll love it and lick it all up. Another good supplement is Astaxanthin, which is a great antioxidant. I just prick a hole in the capsule and squeeze a couple of drops into the smoothie and then take the rest of the pill myself 🙂
I can’t say definitely that the smoothie will help Mitso but it certainly won’t hurt her so do try it out. I was able to order DMG through a site called iHerb.com – I *think* it’s worldwide so you should be able to order stuff for the UK. I just checked and yes, it has Great Britain in its list of countries! I get all my herbal supplements via that site and have never been disappointed by their service 🙂
Wishing you the best of luck with Mitso! You’re a great ferret father for looking out for your little girl and I salute you 😀
Thanks again Nona for the great advise. I will give it a go. I appreciate the support!
I have a 3 year old male ferret that has a lump behind his ear that is growing slowly, what do I do?
Starr, you really need to get him to a ferret vet asap.
It could be that the lump is benign but, unfortunately, it could also be malignant and that would be awful 🙁
Please check my Vets page if you don’t have a good vet that you know of … I hope you’ll find someone good who’ll be able to help you and help your boy!
Hugs to your little man from his new friends down under 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
Hey I have a 2 year old ferret and I just happened across your web site. Kyrin as we call him is harnessed trained and has been trained as a type of service animal for my friend. I had her pick him out and everything. When we got him home he was under nurished due to the food pellets pet co was feeding him and we noticed he wasn’t retaining water like he should have. we have no idea how long he had been in that condition but we found a blended diet of ferret food and his favorite cat food brought his weight back to it’s healthy point. he now has all the energy of the world and has learned everything from bringing requested items to my friend to Stopping my friend from crossing the street if a car is coming. Now that he’s fully trained and has figured out that he is allowed both inside and outside with his leash. he has started licking Moss. Frankly I’m confused by this. My friend simply thinks he’s doing it to clean up a outside mess. but i believe it isn’t healthy for him. I’m fairly sure Wild ferrets don’t even lick moss but i may be wrong. he’s a smart little fella and knows the dangers of the outside world including cars and other animals, and even most of the plants around our area aren’t safe for him so he avoids them like the plegue as well. I know moss holds in alot of liquid and that maybe all he’s licking up but he has plenty of fresh water daily and he even gets to have a tub of water once a week he can play in (No soap just to goof off in) yet even after he’s done drinking he will still go outside on his leash and lick at the moss.
What a wonderful story and how fabulous that Kyrin is such an intelligent little boy and does such a great job looking after your friend! I’ve always thought that ferrets were clever little critters but didn’t think they could be trained as well as your boy was! Fantastic!
However I’m completely stumped as to why Kyrin likes to lick moss
The only thing I can think of is that perhaps there are some minerals or vitamins in the moss which Kyrin needs or likes?!? If you knew what type of moss he licks, you could perhaps check on Google to see if it has any therapeutic properties which might explain why Kyrin likes it.
Hope that’s been of some help and please give Kyrin a big hug from his new buddies down under 😀
Cheers
~Nona
Thank you its a bit of a relief. But i’ll keep an eye on him just to be sure. if it does turn out to be bad for him. He will learn to avoid it if it makes him sick. And as for training its easy if you know the little fuzzy well enough and get them when they are young. He went through about a year of training total. Kyrin is also Trained to do many things that most people wouldn’t think possible for his little size. but i found his favorite treats, positive training and a bit of his favorite habits help with training. He’s trained that if his cage door wasn’t locked all the way he wont escape unless his leash is on and my friend call for him. my friend had never had a service animal before and once he was trained she couldn’t believe it. she was surprised by his disipline and his skills that he’s learned over his young life so far. He wont eat people food and that’s his own skill so We don’t have to stress about him grabbing candy or anything that resembles people food. he will on occasion bring my friend her wrapped sweets but he will drop them on her lap and run the other direction until she’s moved it out of her lap. He’s one strange ferret but unlike a lot of other ferrets he’s been introduced to probably 25 different species of dogs, 10 different species of cats, rabbits, rodents, birds, and he knows how to chase off a stray animals. I’ve owned personally 4 other ferrets before this little guy. and the only other one i had trained this well was Zaidie and she wasn’t trained as a service animal.
Quite the opposite. she was a trained hunter. She would reduce the rabbit population from my grandma’s home as they were eating her out of house and home. *literally.* She was ruthless but the kills were swift and she was always off leash. and once she made one kill would return with it and wait for the command to go out and do it again. but with people or animals that were pets she would act like a normal little furry ferret and bounce and yip. She was a trained pocket pet. she would stay in someone’s hoody or pocket until you put your hand close and then she’d pop her head out and look around to see what to do. Zaidie knew her name and knew her limits. She could ride in a car and could tell me when she needed to go to the restroom.
The reason these ferrets are all so well trained is because of an accident i had with my very first ferret. Zeke. I had taken him to the park in his velcro harness that pet co swore he would be alright in. But he ran to the end of his leash and the velcro gave way and he slipped out of the harness and ran right into the road. the driver didn’t even know he had hit him. and probably thought Zeke was a Squirrel. I never want that to happen again so all the ferrets i have gotten since have to be trained to avoid roads. and adding on other training isn’t that hard to do once you figured it.
All in all I believe everyone trains their little furry ferrets just a bit. even if no one realizes it. I bet some of you have trained your ferrets to know when dinner time is. Or better yet when its time to be awake, you’ll know it’s happened cause as your sleeping in on your day off the little furry one escapes its cage and sneaks into your room and wakes you up. (This has happened with a few of my sneaky little furry friends *Rebel*) 😀 Thank you for this chance to just express some of my ferret tails for you. Kyrin’s still young and i’m sure he’ll keep learning Just like any other ferret would. I’m sure he’s smart enough to tell a bad moss from a good moss.
Thank you for replying to me Nona and I have told him about you and even read your comment out loud for my friend and little Kyrin I got a bit “I told you so” but that’s alright I’d rather have asked that just ignored it. lol
Lyulf, you should write a training manual for those who want to train their ferrets! Your stories are absolutely amazing and I had no idea that ferrets could be trained as well as that!
I’ve always known they were incredibly intelligent little animals but I thought they were so independent that training them like a dog would be impossible 😮
High Five to you! You’ve achieved what I’ve always thought was the impossible
More hugs to your very special little guy from Kimiko and Mojo, his new admirers 😉 I’ve told my girls about what a cool dude Kyrin is and suggested that perhaps the girls would like to try and emulate him but all I got was a sleepy “Meh” from my duo (please DON’T repeat that to Kyrin)!!! 😀
Hey I just got my baby ferret yogi the other day, he seems energetic sometimes but when he wakes up he slides out of bed and just layes on the floor some more, he doesn’t seem to have much interest in toys either .. But he’s eating/drinking and I think his poo looks normal, it’s green/brown And thick clayish looking, more green than brown tho.
Katie, I’m really sorry but I have no idea what is wrong with Yogi 🙁
Please take him to a ferret vet ASAP to be checked out … I’ve gone through all my ferret vets in the States so I hope you can find a good vet nearby! It’s not something you should ignore – seriously 🙁
Wish I could give you some idea of what’s wrong with Yogi but I can’t … PLEASE TAKE HIM TO A FERRET VET ASAP as he doesn’t sound like he’s very well at all!!! 😮
Hi, we had to have our 12 yr old girl (Sasha) put to sleep in August. We have her tubby cheeky buddy Robin who is about 11yrs old all by herself now. She is still very healthy, eating and drinking well, moving without any issues however she sleeps an awful lot more than she used to (I think its because she has lost her play mate and cuddle buddy) and just lately her poop has gotten a funny smell to it however it still looks ok. Sasha had the same smell to her poop for a while before she started to shut down and we decided to have the death process helped along by the vet. I guess my question is do you think I should have my Robin put down or the change of poop smell normal with very well aged ferrets. I only know of one ferret who lived as long as my two girls did so I guess it’s not something most ferret owners would be knowledgeable in. I’d just hate to think there is something going on in her body that’s not comfortable for her and I did nothing about it. Sasha went down hill rather fast, she was fine in the morning (alert, nosey, hungry and her usual cheeky self) and in the afternoon after getting home from picking up my new car she was well into the process of passing over. Any advice you have would be appreciated. Reading everything on this site has been great. I wish I had found it years ago but better late than never. Thanks for your knowledge and passion for little ferries should be more people like you and more sites like this. ?
Hi Shez
I am so sorry to hear about Sasha but I reckon she had 12 wonderful years with you so was a very lucky girl!
As for Robin … I honestly don’t know what to say! If she were my ferret, I wouldn’t think of taking her for her final visit to the vet yet 🙁
You know how a ferret’s poop can look different or smell different if they eat something so perhaps that’s why her poop is smelling different? Have you checked her breath? I know a broken tooth can make a ferret’s breath smell bad and could cause their poop to smell off too. I’ve had a couple of ferrets with dental problems and they were fine once their teeth were pulled.
I know how quickly they can go downhill when sick and I understand your reasoning, but I always feel so dreadful when I’ve had to take any of my guys for their final visit that I want to make sure there’s nothing we can do for them before I take them.
I lost my boy, Dash, to a very aggressive form of lymphoma in May last year. He was fine but then, one weekend, I noticed his poop was looking weird – green and gassy, so I was sure he had a blockage, as that was how Snoopy’s poop looked when she swallowed that olive pit years ago.
I couldn’t see my usual vet on the Monday so took her to another specialised vet – they took an x-ray and blood tests and the result was that they weren’t sure if it was a blockage so we needed to take him for an ultrasound. We did that on the Thursday and it confirmed it was lymphoma 🙁
I gave him all the supplements in a daily smoothie I could to help get the cancer to slow down and although I knew he wasn’t well, he was mooching about, eating and drinking and sleeping with the others quite happily. But 6 weeks later, on the Sunday he refused his smoothie and that set off warning bells. The next morning his back legs wouldn’t work so we had to take him for his final visit :'(
A week later I got my husband to take Mojo, my albino girl whom I knew had adrenal problems as she lost all her hair, to the vet as her stomach suddenly got very swollen 🙁 My husband came back and said that our vet said that Mojo’s liver was very swollen but he didn’t tell me that the vet thought she only had a few days, maximum a week, left on this earth!
I did a lot of research on the internet to find out the best supplements to protect her liver and put those in her daily smoothie and, as she had swollen glands, I found out which supplements would be good to drain her glands.
8 months later our vet is amazed that Mojo is still with us! She still has her swollen belly and from the back the poor girl looks like an armadillo, but she is happy and shows no sign of pain or discomfort! Maybe I’m lucky that she loves her smoothie and actually comes to the kitchen when she hears my electric beater going as she knows I fixing up her smoothie 😉
So, I’m telling you this just to show that a ferret who perhaps is not in the best of health can still carry on happily 🙂
Perhaps you should take Robin to your vet for a check up to see what the vet says?
I hope I’ve helped you figure out a decision for Robin and not just rambled on! 🙂
Thank you very much for your very kind words about my site – I do appreciate it when ferret owners tell me they’ve enjoyed my site as it really was/is a work of love! I must say I am totally bewitched by these gorgeous little critters and don’t think I could ever be without one!
Hugs to Robin from her new friends across the Nullarbor!
Cheers
~Nona
my ferret looks like tumor on right hind leg what do I do ?
Please, please, please take your ferret to a knowledgeable vet as soon as possible!
Hopefully it won’t be cancerous but the sooner you get it to the vet, the better the outcome!
If you don’t know of a ferret vet, please check out my US Vets page to see if there is someone close to where you live …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets-usa.html
I really hope it’s nothing serious 🙁
Hugs to your little one and sending lots of positive vibes for a good outcome
I have a male ferret named Momo. He is about 2 years old. He is running around and eating healthy from what I can see, but I have notice that he is a bit thinner around his hind legs and there is what looks to be a white ring around the base of his tail. Is this normal for ferrets around his age or should I be worried and take him to a vet?
Hi Tasha
I honestly don’t know if what you described is something to be worried about but it’s not something I’ve experienced with young ferrets.
Adrenal disease can start by shedding at the base of the tail, so I wonder if that’s what’s causing the white ring around his tail and perhaps loss of fur on his legs makes them look thin.
2 years old seems very young for a ferret to suffer from this disease so I hope I’m wrong but I think you’d feel a lot happier once you’ve had Momo checked out by a ferret vet. At least if there’s nothing to worry about you can relax and if there is something going on, you would have caught the problem in the early stages!
I really hope Momo comes away from the vet with a clean bill of health – fingers crossed!!
Hugs to your little man from his new friends down under 😀
Cheers
~Nona
How many toes does a ferret have on a Sunday morning?
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Hello all, I have a pregnant female called Sophie of around 4 years of age and she has started showing signs of hair loss, I have been doing some research and I believe she is just pulling fur out to line her nest, however she has been scratching and biting rather a lot and may sometimes squeak when she does this which is concerning. I have not seen signs or any parasites like ear mites, fleas, ticks or worms in her faeces. The loss is rather patchy and mostly on her back and at the base of her tail. There may be more at the back of her neck due to mating as well as a little around her eyes. Is this due to a hormonal imbalance because of her pregnancy or is she prone to disease at this time?
Hi Ellie
It sounds like your Sophie has adrenal disease 🙁 Take a look at my page about that disease – I think you’ll see that Sophie has a couple of the symptoms:(
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/adrenal-gland-disease-in-ferrets.html
Of course I could be wrong and I certainly hope I am.
Make sure you take Sophie to a ferret vet to get checked out as if s/he agrees the hair loss is due to adrenal disease, they can do something to help Sophie and, hopefully, not lose any of her kits.
I’ve recently updated my UK vets pages so if you don’t have a ferret vet, please look to see if there’s one near to where you live …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets-in-england.html
I have a totally bald albino girl – Mojo – who lost her hair due to adrenal. My vet was going to put an implant into her to help lessen the symptoms but another vet used the implant a few days before and we had a shortage of the implant in Oz.
Last year her liver got very swollen and my vet thought that Mojo only had a short time left but I gave my girl lots of tonics and tinctures and now, 13 months later, she’s still with me!
Hope all goes well with Sophie!
Hugs to your little girl from her friends down under.
Cheers
~Nona
@Braveheart
What a gorgeous photo!! Squeeeeeeee
I wish I could crawl into the hammock and cuddle your little friend as it looks so warm and inviting
Thanks so much for sharing the picture with us!
My 8 year old fuzzball, Philly, has been extra itchy lately. She scratches so much she gets herself bleeding. I recently changed her food because my pet store stopped carrying the kind she’s been eating for the last 6 years, so I think that may be why. I’m wondering if you have any suggestions to ease her itchiness while I work out the cause and find the right solution. Thanks. =]
Hi Megan
I hope it was the change in diet which is making Philly scratch but one thing you should be aware of is that scratching is a sign of adrenal gland disease 🙁
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/adrenal-gland-disease-in-ferrets.html
I hope that this isn’t the reason for her scratching. Intense scratching can also be due to mites – could Philly have picked up mites from somewhere? If it is mites then it’s easy for the vet to fix by giving her a shot of Ivermectin. We had a rescue ferret with scabies years ago and after having his injection, all his problems cleared up and he was like a new ferret 🙂
I had a look online and on the Holistic Ferret Forum it was suggested that someone should give their itchy ferret some fish oil, or salmon oil. 1/2 tsp every third day. You could try that and see if it helps Philly with her itching.
http://holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/9133
If you’re wondering which brand of food would be best for Philly, take a look at this site – it has a lot of brands and they’re graded so you can find the best food to get her to replace her old kibble 🙂
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/tUNWoTJPH8hIwW-FHeY-tqg/htmlview?pli=1
Hope that you manage to get Philly’s itching under control and I especially hope it’s not because of any adrenal problems!
Hugs to your little old lady from her new friends down under 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
Hi. We have a 1 1/2-year-old sable ferret named Oliver. Last Tuesday he started to act really sick – lethargic – no energy – not interested in running around at playtime with his brother (he will walk or kind of jog a few steps and then just lie down looking all sad) – very limp – and he seems to have dropped a bit of weight. We see that he is eating his soupy (the dry ferret food soaked in hot water and then stirred into a soup) and he seems to be using the bathroom regularly as well. I took him to the vet this past Sunday and she suggested getting a stool sample to rule out parasites (which she just called me back and said was negative). If not, then she suggested doing blood work to figure out what could be wrong – but that will cost approximately $275-300. In reading some of the above I am wondering what could possibly be wrong with him? Any ideas??
Oh Cathy, I’m so sorry to hear that Oliver isn’t himself but I honestly don’t know what might be the problem 🙁
I’ll list the diseases which *might* be the cause – check the pages out and see if any of the symptoms fit what Oliver has but please note that the longer you leave him untreated, the worse his problem will get 🙁
If he’s eating his soupy and pooping, it can’t be a blockage but check his poop to see if it looks different in any way. Maybe he’s swallowed something which has resulted in a partial blockage?!?
Insulinoma can make a ferret very lethargic. Have you noticed him staring into space blankly at all? That was the first sign I noticed when my boy got the disease but he was much older than Oliver at the time.
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/insulinoma-in-ferrets.html
Another disease which does affect young ferrets is juvenile lymphoma. The symptoms are the same as lymphoma, it just happens to young ferrets 🙁
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/lymphosarcoma-in-ferrets.html
I know it’s expensive to get the blood test done but I think it’s important to know what is wrong with Oliver. It’s not a good idea to guess what’s wrong with him – what if it’s the wrong diagnosis? The vet needs to know what’s wrong so that they can treat the symptoms properly.
I wish I could be of more help and hope you find out what’s wrong with Oliver. Fingers crossed it’s nothing serious 🙁
Hugs to Oliver and his brother from his new friends down under!
Cheers
~Nona
Hi, I recently brought home a 6 month old ferret named Perry. He is playful and eats and drinks well, everything looks normal and he seems very happy. My concern is that one of his hind toenails is very thick and growing in crooked. It doesn’t seem to effect the way he plays and really doesn’t seem to bother him at all, I’m unsure of whether or not I should cut it with the rest of his nails or if it’s something more serious that needs to be checked out. Love the page, thanks!
Hiya my ferret is less than 1 year old and he has got orange scabby spots of his fur witch seem to be irritating him and he has licked himself bald in the areas that are affected. PLEASE HELP ME!!! ?
On his skin I mean^
Hi Macey
I don’t think you should worry about Perry’s hind toenail!
Back in the late 1990s, we rescued a ferret with an extremely bad case of mites. The vet fixed him up with Ivermectin but the poor boy had twisted, thick toenails because of the mites. They didn’t cause any problems and he had a long and happy life with the guy who adopted him 🙂
You might want to just keep an eye on that nail and if you think it is troubling Perry, then I can only suggest you take him to a ferret vet to get checked out!
Thanks so much for saying you like my site – I really appreciate that.
Hugs to Perry from his new pals down under 😀
Cheers
~Nona
Hi Ashley
Have you been washing your ferret a lot? Over-shampooing a ferret can cause a ferret’s skin to dry out and that would cause the ferret to scratch and lick the itchy area, making it worse.
Are you sure that your ferret hasn’t got fleas or mites? They can also be the cause of the problem 🙁
This is from Dr Bruce Williams, a ferret vet …
Orange-speckled, crusty patches
Dr. Bruce Williams, DVM, says:
An orange, flaky discoloration of the skin is a very non-specific finding in the ferret. The crustiness of the skin means that the skin is not coming off in small microscopic flakes (1 to several cells at a time) like normally happens. When you see a crust – it means that the normal way that a ferret sheds devitalized epidermis [dead skin] has been impaired.
As far as the cause – there is not just one cause. Many things can cause this change – skin parasites, fleas, ear mites, bacterial infections of hair follicles, fungus, endocrine disease, even distemper.
Minor skin disorders such as these are more common with age. They may be exacerbated by poor husbandry, or excessive bathing (more than once per week to ten days.)
Most cases are due to a very superficial bacterial infection which will respond well to a weekly application of a gentle bactericidal shampoo. Other tests that can be done at the time of diagnosis by your vet would include a skin scraping and fungal culture. Should all tests turn up negative, and a four-week course of topical therapy not help, then the next step would be biopsy and submission to a pathology lab for microscopic examination.
Allergies are another possibility; and the area around bites, whether caused by fleas or another animal, may take on a pink or orangish color from dried blood.
If he’s been scratching because of over-washing, then I’d suggest you stop washing him and perhaps get some gentle ointment to put on the scabs to help heal it up. You could use pure organic coconut oil to put on the scabs – if your ferret licks it off it won’t hurt him and it should soothe the itching.
However if he’s scratching because of mites, you’ll need to take him to a ferret vet. The vet will give him Ivermectin which will clear everything up. If it’s because of fleas, he’ll recommend a good flea product to use.
If you don’t know of a ferret vet, check out my UK ferret vet page to hopefully find one near to where you live …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets-in-england.html
Hiya thanks for the advice, will give him a bath but he’s doing it everyday and it’s getting worse. I’m going to treat for fleas next. What a great page you have here ??
Thanks for your very kind words, Ashley! So glad you enjoy the site 😀
Be careful about what kind of shampoo you use on your boy – make sure it’s a gentle one for kittens.
When it comes to flea treatment, the best thing to use is Revolution for cats 2.6-7.5kg (5.1-15 lbs) (blue).
Just use one pipette and put it on the back of his neck where he can’t lick it off.
I used Revolution on all our pets when we had a horrible flea outbreak years ago and it worked like a dream.
Don’t forget to wash his bedding and make sure there are no fleas in his cage, if he lives in one. Don’t use flea powder as it could hurt your ferret and definitely do not put a flea collar on him.
Hope you can fix the problem soon 🙂
Hugs to your little man from his new pals down under!
Cheers
~Nona
Hi, I have 2 ferrets, 1 is over and year and the other is 6 months. They get along great, sleep together and do everything else together. Now the only thing that I’m not understanding is that the oldest seems to weigh less meanwhile the younger one is getting bigger (not fatter, normal growing) and its been a 2 months since they went to the vet and the oldest still isn’t gaining any weight. I don’t know what to do because she is eating ferret food (treats included), pooping (normal colors and I keep and eye on it) and playing just fine (running around the room stealing everything)! Any ideas?
Hi Chris
I know that some ferrets are the long and slinky types so it could be that your eldest has that physique?
I had an albino years ago, Angus, and he really was a slinky fellow 😀 I had him sterilised when he was 6 months old and my vet checked him over. She said he was just a lanky little boy and that everything was fine with him!
The silvermitt boy I had at the same time and who was the same age as Angus had to be sterilised at 4 months old because he was a much bigger ferret!
I doubt that your girl has worms because if she did, I’m sure you would have seen something in the litter box. Also your youngest ferret would have been infected too.
Please understand that these comments are just my opinion and that I don’t have any medical training – just 22 years of ferret ownership 😀
If you are worried, I would suggest you take her to your (ferret) vet and get her checked out. Then you’ll find out if she does have a problem which is keeping her from gaining weight or if it’s just the way she’s built. It’s always better to be safe than sorry 🙂
Hugs to your little ones from their new friends down under!
Cheers
~Nona
my ferret was a rescued one..so i am not sure how old she..she is with me for almost 3 yrs now…best friend with 9 months old kitten…however i owned true life many animals all kinds …i just adore animals and like all my animals past and present i do not believe in cages or collars my animals are free …my ferret has her cage always open she likes to sleep in it.she also love to sleep in bed by me under the cover…lately i notice her fur not so well looking and scratching more than usual..she eat nothing else but dry cat food even i tried chicken and meat ..she won’t touch it..her teeth gums look good..she always had black eyes is this normal color..her none is always wet and cold…i believe she is ok only i like to know about her eyes being black..
Hi Nadeije
Some ferrets have eyes with a reddish hue while other ones have black eyes so I think your little girl is one of those. I once had an email from a ferret owner who told me that his ferret had eyes with a blue hue to them! Amazing 🙂
Nadeije, I think you should take your ferret to the vet to see if she’s developing adrenal gland disease 🙁 When you said her fur doesn’t look so good and that she was scratching a lot, those are two symptoms of that disease.
If you have a good ferret vet, he can speak to you about whether to operate on your girl and remove the tumour or if it is too difficult. There are other treatments that help ferrets with adrenal problems including an implant. The implant regrows the fur and keeps the disease manageable but it’s not a cure, unfortunately 🙁
Please take a look at my page about the disease to see if you can see any more symptoms which your ferret might have …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/adrenal-gland-disease-in-ferrets.html
If you need a ferret vet, please check out my Vets section. Hopefully you’ll find one near to where you live 🙂
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets.html
Hugs to your little girl from her new friends down under 😀
Very best wishes
~Nona
thanks for answering
merry christmas
Thank you, Nadeije 😀
I hope you and yours have a very Merry Christmas too, and that 2017 turns out to be a great year!
Kindest regards
~Nona
I have a two year old ferret who is scratching all over his body including his head ,Hes been to the vet and been treated for mites and when that didnt work back again and treated for fleas which has also made no difference . I have been reading a possible cause could be poor diet.He is given ferret biscuits , fresh meat and water daily . Could you please advice me on any supplements i could give ?.Thank you .
Hi Tracey
What brand of ferret kibble do you give your boy?
Did you see the food chart that shows the best brands to give to ferrets?
http://ferretedu.weebly.com/ferret-food-charts.html
You could look to see where the food you’re giving your ferret is on the list and if it’s way down the chart, perhaps change it to a better quality?
You could make this daily smoothie up for him : 150ml of no-lactose milk with an egg yolk & a few drops of Astaxanthin, which protects the immune system, and 1/4 teaspoon of (Extra Virgin) Coconut Oil, which is recommended for pets with a skin condition or parasitic infection.
Also keep in mind that scratching *could* mean adrenal problems so if you see any bald patches on your boy, please take him to the vet and have him examined to make sure he hasn’t got Adrenal Gland Disease.
I hope this information will help and your boy will stop scratching soon 🙂
Hugs to your little man from his new friends down under!
Cheers
~Nona
how are you..i have been bathing gently miss milly ,loves it,got leas all remved but eggs are believe still hatch ..i have cats petlock plus,can i use this on my ferret and what amount should i use
misspelled …i mean fleas
Hi Nadeije
I’m very well, thank you 🙂 Hope you are too!
I have never heard of Petlock Plus so I’m afraid I cannot give you my opinion. You might find this article about fleas on ferrets helpful, as it talks about various products to use …
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3355
I have used Revolution on my ferrets and it worked beautifully. An American ferret vet, Jerry Murray, suggests using one tube of the Revolution for the 5-15lb cat (blue box) per ferret. This article gives you a lot of information about Revolution and how it works …
http://www.pet-informed-veterinary-advice-online.com/revolution-flea-control.html
Whatever flea control you use, please make sure to wash your ferret’s bedding and vacuum to rid the house of any flea detritus.
Hope that’s been of some help and that you get control of your flea problem as soon as possible 😀
Cheers
~Nona
thank you so much for your answer as usual you are very helpful
Always happy to help another ferret lover, if I can 😀
Please help me get more educated about ferrets someone please email me back to stay in contact with me at ( Onoriodaniel @ g mail dot com ) this email has no spaces all one word this is not spam this is my personal email because I just got my first two pair and at first they were just for my gf but I’ve grown very fond of the little bastards and I’d hate for me to miss something about them because I’m uneducated about them
Danny, I hope someone will email you and stay in contact to help you with any questions or queries however, in the meantime I would suggest you read through all the stuff on this site and if you have any questions, just ask!
Cheers
~Nona
Hi,
I have had a ferret previously, but just got a new one. He is about 6 months old and I’ve had him for a week today. I have been letting him out of his cage for 4+ hours a day so far– but today and yesterday instead of francially coming out of his cage he is a little more apprehensive. He is fine when I am holding and cuddling him, doesn’t struggle, but seems a little afraid of me when I approach him. He has been hiding under furniture, scurrying away, etc.
He hasn’t been dooking as much and doesn’t get as excited when playing as he did earlier in the week.
I am worried he could be sick? But if I can help it I don’t really want to have to pay for the vet if I’m just overthinking, money will be a bit tight until my next pay check…. it did storm really hard today so I’m wondering if he was afraid?
Just looking for some advice , thank you.
Hi Megg
I honestly can’t tell you if your little guy is sick or not, I’m afraid 🙁
Ferrets do get scared when they hear loud noises so if your ferret was scurrying under furniture during the storm then that’s understandable. However if he does that when there aren’t any loud noises, then something else is frightening him.
As long as you see that he’s eating, drinking, pooping and piddling normally then I would suggest you just keep an eye on him. Obviously if he’s not doing either or all of those four things normally then he should see a vet asap.
Perhaps you could find a treat which he loves and see if that makes him light up 🙂
As I said, it might just have been the weather which made him feel uneasy and I would imagine ferrets, like other animals, might hear storm sounds when humans can’t!
I hope your young man is back to normal now but please, if you notice him acting at all differently in his habits, then please do take him to a vet!
Sorry I couldn’t be more specific in my answer 🙁
Hugs to your little guy from his new buddies down under 😀
Cheers
~Nona
Thanks a lot Nona for your answer.
His demeanour is improved greatly today — and yes he does seem to be eating/drinking/pooping normally . Do you have any treat reccomendations ? I bought 2 different kinds at the pet store and he hates both. Won’t even eat it with ferretone in it hahaha! I was also wondering if you had any reccomendations for stuff he might like to play with. So far he seems more interested in tearing up my carpet than playing for long periods of time– he has lots of toys, a dig box, etc but nothing seems to interest him at all. If it does, only briefly. He is also a bit bitey, much more than my previous guy. but hoping this will go away during training.
Thank you again and hope you are well!
Hi Megg
I’m glad to hear that your boy is acting normally now! It’s always so worrying when you notice that they’re not themselves, isn’t it 🙂
Treats … there are some listed on this document, which you might want to try for him …
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/11PCfOD-97eu-Zitc_W5aVXOVNYXTpwdfVR1wJbKtub8/edit#gid=0
I don’t give my guys much in the way of toys. I had a dig box for them too – one with biodegradable packing peanuts and that was flop. Then I got a bunch of balls to put in the box and my last silvermitt thought it was great to stash them all under the sofa, one-by-one! LOL! 😀 They love empty cardboard boxes so I have one in the kitchen which I’ve put loud, crackly plastic bags in and they think it’s great to jump into the box and play there. I also have another box in our bedroom which has sheets of bubble wrap in and they also enjoy scrambling around in that. You could try something like that to see if that is fun for your little guy 🙂
I have two sable boys at the moment – identical twins – and they’re both gorgeous but one (Misha) gives me lots of kisses while his brother Grisha enjoys giving me rather hard nips! I’ve been teaching Grisha that kissing is more fun than nipping but I find it quite amusing to have two litter mates and both with such different personalities 😀
Hope all goes well with your nip training!
All the very best
~Nona
I have a question. I got two ferrets on Saturday from a guy on CL who told me his “friend” moved to California and abandoned them. The female appears to be VERY young or maybe she’s just that tiny? They both appear to be in good health but my little peanut(the female) is very skinny. I can feel her ribs when I pick her up! Sandy(the male) feels kinda skinny, but not bad. Do I need to be concerned about peanuts weight? I keep food in their dish so they eat when they’re hungry. Please advise.
Hi Tahne
Great that you are caring enough to be concerned about your little charges!
Do you know what the previous owner fed Peanut and Sandy? I doubt they had a good diet since he was enough of a bad owner to abandon them! What kind of person does such a thing?!? >:(
I’ve heard of some pretty horrible stories of owners thinking that their ferrets ate the same diet as rabbits or of ferrets having Cheerios or other cereal for their meals 😮
I would suggest you take them both to a ferret vet to get the once over and then you’ll know for sure if they’re both healthy and just need to be fattened up. It would certainly take a weight off your shoulders if they’re both in good shape but just skinny.
I assume you’ve given them good quality kibble to eat 24/7? You might also consider giving them a smoothie – mix an egg yolk (no white) in about 200ml of no lactose milk and if you can, get some supplements to add to the mix. I would suggest putting 2-3 drops of Astaxanthin in the smoothie before mixing it (you can take the rest of the capsule as it’d be good for you too 🙂 ) just to build up their immune system.
If Peanut is very young then she might find it hard to eat the kibble so perhaps you could put some water into her portion to smoosh it and see if she’ll lick that up.
I also give my guys a plate of turkey mince at night, not a full plate – I cut the quantity up into 1″ sections and freeze each section, then pull one out in the morning to defrost before giving it to the boys – but your two might be so hungry that they’ll gobble a lot more up than my guys! If you do give them fresh mince, please check the cage in the morning to make sure they haven’t stashed any bits! Once a ferret has eaten enough, it tends to stash the leftovers rather than leaving them on the plate, and those stashed bits can cause gastro problems if eaten days later 😮
If you don’t know of a good vet, please check out my list of ferret vets in the States to find one. It’s always good to know that you can take your babies to a knowledgeable vet if anything goes wrong with them! And also don’t forget they’ll need vaccinations for Rabies and Canine Distemper if they haven’t already had them.
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets-usa.html
I hope everything goes well with both your babies and that they both have long and happy lives with you!
Hugs to Peanut and Sandy from their new buddies down under 😀
Cheers
~Nona
My ferret has a scab on his chest. Should I worry?
Hi Jordyn
I’d keep an eye on his scab and see how things go.
It could be that he scratched himself and it’ll fall off in time and that will be that.
However it could be a mast cell tumour and if it is, you’ll need to take him to your vet to have it removed.
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/mast-cell-tumors-in-ferrets.html
Cheers
~Nona
Hi, my ferret isn’t a big fan of being in his cage for the night and sometimes throws fits. usually it’s fine he just knocks his bowls around and tries to open the door, but tonight he ended up getting his toe stuck in the corner where two of the walls meet, and ended up spinning himself several times before i could get across the room to reach and rescue him, I’m fairly certain his toe is broken and probably completely dislocated. it was spun entirely around when i finally got him unstuck and it’s turned right now but he won’t let me touch that foot at all and i’m really worried about him since I’ve never had something like this happen before. Is this ever lethal? we’re going to take him to the vet later today when they open and after trying to pad his cage to the best of my abilities so that he doesn’t get his toe stuck on anything else he’s sleeping now but I’m just very worried and I’ve tried googling it a good 20+ times but nothing came up
Oh Rachel, so sorry to hear about your boy’s toe 🙁
None of my ferrets have ever done anything like this so I’m afraid I don’t know what to suggest!
It’s great that you’re taking him to the vet and I hope you’ll find that his toe might not be as damaged as you think and that he’ll be back to normal after the vet treats him!
Wishing him all the best ❤️
Hugs to your boy from my two wolverines down under 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
My ferret is act weird and I don’t know what I should do? He acting very tired but restless and he is acting like is looking for something, he is acting really sluggish and lost. What does this mean? He is walking around but he will lay down and sit for a few seconds like he is truly lost like he isn’t comfortable
Hi Brandie
If you see your ferret isn’t himself, please TAKE HIM TO A VET!
I’m sorry but I can’t tell you what might be bothering him – it might be something simple like he’s too hot or he could have a disease which needs medication.
Do you have a ferret vet? If you don’t, please take a look at my vets’ list. Hopefully you’ll find a good one near to where you live ?
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets.html
I hope you get your little man sorted out so that he’s back to his usual self soon!
Hugs to him from his new pals down under ❤❤
Cheers
~Nona
I’ve had my ferret, Merlin, for 3 going on four years now. I’ve always had his cage in my room so I’ve always been aware of his night habits. I have a plastic bin in his cage where I keep his blankets so he can sleep and not get his blankets dirty with his poop and pee. Within the past 2 weeks, he’s been continuously moving his bin and scratching at it. I’ve changed his blankets and moved the bin to the other side of the cage and he still scratches and moves it. I have no idea what could be the issue or how to make him comfortable and its stressing me out not knowing how to help
Hi Nelson
I’m sorry but I have no idea why Merlin is so active at night ?♀️
I’ve never used Bach Flowers for Pets but do you think it might be an idea to give Merlin something for stress?
Take a look at their page and see if there’s something there which might be good to give him to calm him down at night …
http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pets-bach-flower/
Hope that helps with making him sleep happily at night!
Good luck ❤
Cheers
~Nona
Hi! My ferret is about a year old and has always been very social and attached to me, then one day out of the blue she became extremely skittish and afraid of people. She plays with toys, eats and drinks and goes to the bathroom as usual, blood work and stool specimens came back normal from the vet. We did change her change a week prior to her behavior change, any ideas?
Hi Natasha
I’m sorry but I don’t know what you changed which might have caused her change in behaviour ?
Did you change her sleeping arrangements? Her food?
Actually it doesn’t really matter as I can’t imagine those things would affect her behaviour!
I haven’t used them myself, but I believe Bach Flowers for Pets helps so perhaps you could take a look at their products and get the one you think would be best for calming her down?
http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pets-bach-flower/
Sorry I can’t give you a definitive answer but I hope that will help to make your little girl calm down ❤
Hugs to her from her new buddies down under ?
Good luck!
~Nona
Hello, my ferret is a baby, his only 1 month and a couple of days but I just showered him with dog shampoo for the first time and he was terrified I dried him with a towel and he went crazy he was scared of me and he was acting very strange he also keep scratching him self so I thought the shampoo was bad so I went and washed him with just warm water dried him again and he was still so scared then he went to his bed and scratched him self alot and only around his legs at the bottom and Crawled into a little ball and went to sleep and he wakes up and just scratches him self and goes to sleep I’m very worried about him I don’t drive so I can’t take him to a vet yet so maybe if you know what it might mean please help me out thank you.
Hi Kiara
I hope you got your ferret’s age wrong – one month is WAY too early to be removed from his mother ? They should still be with their mother to learn the ropes of being a ferret and the best age for them to leave their mother’s side is 12 weeks, but most breeders sell their kits at 8 weeks old.
Anyway – you don’t need to wash your ferret much at all because that strips their skin of their natural oils and makes them itch, and if you need to, please make sure he’s only washed once or twice a year, MAX!
If your baby is still scratching a lot then I’ve been told oatmeal shampoo soothes their skin and relieves their itchy feeling so you should try that. I’m sorry but I don’t know what brand. I would imagine if you asked someone at a good pet store then they should be able to tell you which shampoo to buy.
As far as your ferret being afraid of you – you’ll have to start earning his trust again. Hold him, speak to him in a quiet, loving voice, and stroke him gently! Perhaps you should also apologise about using dog shampoo on him!! LOL! ? Never do that again, please, and remember – ferrets really don’t need to be washed unless they rolled around in poop or mud or some other yucky substance, not because you’re trying to get rid of the smell!
Hope that’s been of some help to you ?
Big hugs to your little guy from his new mates across the Nullarbor ❤
Cheers
~Nona
Hello
My fur baby is 1 year old and a few months and he jus started freaking out. We did have 2 new ferrets in another cage in a different area. We had out my others in our room to roam free and had a barricade in front of the door and the other two new babies in the hallways. When we put the babies away and then let them run back to their room and in the hallways they seemed fine. Put mine in their room and the one about almost 2 hours later went in to check and he was acting scared. Took him to our room and shut the door and he was freaking out with us just hiding him and as soon as he got out of my arms he ran off as fast as he could and hide under a dresser and didnt want to come out. He never acts like that. Could the scent from other ferrets cause this or possibly laughing to loud cause him to freak out. I’m just trying to figure out what happened and why.
Hi Danielle
I am so sorry but I haven’t got any idea why your “oldie” is acting scared ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I think it could be the new smells in your house which is affecting him. Is there any reason why you didn’t introduce him to your “newbies”?
It might be an idea to introduce him to the newcomers so that he knows where the smells are coming from and perhaps if they get on, he won’t be acting scared any more!
That’s all I can think of so I apologise it doesn’t give you any definite answers!
Hope all goes well ?
Hugs to your threesome from their new buddies down under ❤
Cheers
~Nona
I just got my Ferret from Petco over the Easter weekend and Rocket was born at the end of December. I have him on ferret food but he seems to poop around 20 times a day. Is that normal? It looks like brown toothpaste so from what I read it is normal poop, just seems like a lot. Also is there a trick to teaching your ferret to use a litter pan?
Thank you,
Amy
Hi Amy
Yes, ferrets have a very short alimentary canal and eat often, so they do poop often as well. ?
If his poop looks normal and doesn’t smell, and if your Rocket looks healthy and happy, you don’t have to worry! However if it all changes and you find the poop looks different or Rocket is making painful noises when he poops, then please take him to a ferret vet for a check up!!
I hope you’re giving Rocket a good brand of food to eat. Take a look at this site which lists the best down to the worst – the better the food, the better their poop ?
https://ferretedu.weebly.com/ferret-food-charts.html
And no – I have NO idea how to train a ferret to use a litter pan!! After 25 years of ferret ownership I can say that some ferrets will poop where they should and others will poop wherever they feel the urge ? I have that problem now – I got two rescue brothers and one is really good at pooping on the paper I have around the house but his brother – akkk! He usually goes under the dining room table which really makes it difficult to get to ??
Anyway – I hope this site will help you to train Rocket …
https://www.petassure.com/new-newsletters/ferrets-litter-box-training-tips/
Good luck with your training and please give Rocket a big hug from his new buddies down under ❤
Cheers
~Nona
Thank you and I already got a veterinarian for him and so far he seems very healthy and energetic.
Thank you,
Amy