[wp_ad_camp_1]
Warning signs of a sick ferret should set off all the alarm bells! If a ferret gets sick, it can go downhill very quickly so it is vital for you to be aware of any changes to your ferret’s health.
If you notice your ferret showing any of the following symptoms, get it your vet immediately!
Disinterest in playing- Loss of appetite
- Tiredness
- Vomiting
- Pain
- Difficulty in breathing
[wp_ad_camp_2]
- A wound or any bleeding
- Pawing at mouth
- Drooling
- Weight loss (not due to seasonal changes)
- Fur loss (not due to seasonal changes)
- Grinding of teeth
- Dazed and / or staring look
- Anything resembling a seizure or convulsion
- Excessive itching
- Straining to piddle
- Excessive drinking and / or piddling
- Change in color or texture of poop (if diet is the same)
- No poop or piddle seen in litter box or around the house during the day
Also make sure you can give your vet as much information as possible about how different your ferret is acting or feeling, and the condition it’s in, to help with diagnosing the problem.
[wp_ad_camp_3]
A good article to read as it could help you to figure out if your ferret needs medical attention …
Is It A Ferret Medical Emergency by Jerry Murray, DVM (SmallAnimalChannel.com)
Drs Foster & Smith have made a pdf called “Contact Your Veterinarian When Your Ferret Shows These Signs”.
You can download it HERE.
Print it out and stick it on your fridge or another obvious place where you put important reminders.
A site with General Information on Sick Ferrets
You can download a pdf showing a Ferret Illness Symptom Chart by Ferret Association of Connecticut HERE.
The composition and initial evaluation of a grimace scale in ferrets after surgical implantation of a telemetry probe – Scientific Figure on ResearchGate.
DISCLAIMER: The information contained on this page is not meant to replace seeing a veterinarian if you think your ferret is ill. It’s only meant to supply general information on a particular illness which was obtained either from personal experience with my sick ferrets, or from books and/or the Internet.
My one male ferret hasn’t been wanting to play and just lays around. Feels like I can feel his back bones easily than before. Not really sure of his age as I got him from a lady online
Stephanie, I honestly don’t know what to say :/
It could be the hot weather (if it is hot at your end) that’s making him lethargic and not wanting to eat much.
However it could be that he’s sick, and only a vet can tell you what’s wrong with him 🙁
I would seriously urge you to take him to a (ferret) vet to get checked over so that you know precisely what’s wrong.
I hope it’s nothing serious 🙁
Hugs to your little man from his new buddies down under.
Cheers
~Nona
What would cause labored breathing, loss of appetite and energy and stares into space?
Deby, it could be that your ferret has insulinoma 🙁
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/insulinoma-in-ferrets.html
You need to take it to a ferret vet and if it is insulinoma, then the vet will prescribe pred (prednisolone or prednisone (pills or liquid)) for it. It won’t cure the disease but will regulate it.
If the vet does give your ferret pred, please think about getting milk thistle to help protect its liver as much as possible!
Hugs to your sick baby 🙁
~Nona
I couldn’t find the right place to post this, but my ferret has blackheads on her tail and her hair is falling out from it. How do you treat rats tail at home? I’ve read scrub their tail with a toothbrush every other day.
Hi Emily
I’ve had good results with Ungvita when a couple of my guys had a rat’s tail. You can read about it here …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/does-your-ferret-have-a-rats-tail/.html
It’s a Vitamin-A cream which is used for mothers and babies so is perfectly safe if a ferret licks the ointment.
I must say I haven’t heard that tip about brushing your ferret’s tail with a toothbrush before but if it works …. why not 😀
Cheers
~Nona
I rescued a female ferret from an abusive home 2 months ago and I don’t know her medical history but since this morning she’s had constant bloody diarrhea and vomits up whatever I try and feed her. The vet can’t see me for two days and I’m going to pull my hair out until then. Could it be IBS? Before she got sick her paws where always cold and she drags her mouth on the carpet which I thought was odd and the Internet doesn’t have any information on these symptoms.
Oh Amber, your poor little girl 🙁
It could be IBS but it could also be gastric ulcers. If you say she was from an abusive home, it could be that she was stressed out of her mind and it took 2 months for the symptoms to show?
Some of the symptoms of gastric ulcers are :
— Rubbing the face against things, pawing at the mouth, drooling (signs of nausea)
— Pale gums (a sign of anemia due to the continued blood loss in the stomach and intestines) — that could be the reason for her cold paws – lack of circulation?
— Bloody stools
I’ve got a few good sites which talk about ulcers which you might want to check out to see if her symptoms match.
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/gastric-ulcers-in-ferrets.html
If you think she has ulcers, I found this advice about what you can do to try and relieve her pain …
Quick relief can be found with 1cc (1 ml.) of Pepto Bismol (don’t use generic- tastes too bad), but this only treats symptoms. Reduction of acid which is part cure (but not full cure) and part treatment can be found with Pepcid, generic is Famotidine. Vets can also administer a painless inexpensive Famotidine injection.
http://www.askavetquestion.com/answer_np.php?id=1460-helicobacter-in-ferrets
I hope you’ll find out what’s troubling your little girl real soon and get her back on the road to recovery. She’s a very lucky ferret having such a caring, considerate owner!
Big hugs to your little one!
Cheers
~Nona
What are the symptoms of ferrets with upper sesperatory infection?
I meant resperatory infection
Zelma, I’ve found a couple of sites which talk about respiratory issues in ferrets. Take a look and see if any symptoms fit your little one …
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/article.cfm?aid=2057
https://exoticanimalmed.wordpress.com/2013/11/23/common-respiratory-issues-in-ferrets/
When my Mulder caught that bug off my daughter, there weren’t any obvious symptoms for a few days. A bit of sneezing but then when he began wheezing, that’s when I took him to the doctor. It was the middle of summer so that’s why I couldn’t imagine him having a respiratory problem and, unfortunately, I left it too late. He was in hospital for 5 days and the day I thought I was going to collect him, I got a call from the vet to say he’d passed in the night :'(
Hugs to your sick baby!
~Nona
We got our ferret from Petco 4 years ago. She has recently displayed a SEVERE loss of appetite, difficulty breathing (she often heaves), is lethargic, and has lost some of her coloring. She isn’t herself. We can feel some of the bones on her back. What should I do and what is wrong with her?
Andrew, please take your girl to a ferret savvy vet AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
I can’t tell you what’s wrong with her because I’m not a vet but I do know that if you don’t take her to see a vet soon, she might not be with you for much longer 🙁
Check out the ferret vets in the state where you live – hopefully you’ll find someone close by to take her to but PLEASE don’t leave it too late!
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets-usa.html
My ferret blaze will get up and play for a little bit and then he just lays down. When he eats he lays down. And laid in my arms for 10 minutes with a small wiggle here and there. He has not showed any sign of being sick. And this behavior just started tonight. Any ideas?
Oh Jennifer, I honestly don’t know what to suggest apart from taking him to a ferret vet for a check up.
Ferrets are great at hiding their illnesses and a lot of owners have said their ferret was fine one day then really sick the next 🙁
Your vet will be the one who’ll be able to tell you whether there’s anything lurking in Blaze’s system which is making him so lethargic or not. It just doesn’t seem right that he didn’t act that way until all of a sudden he did.
I hope there’s nothing wrong with him – maybe he has a 24 hour bug or something – but it really would be best for him to be checked over by a ferret vet!
Hugs to Blaze from his new buddies down under ::)
Cheers
~Nona
I just bought my ferret a new cage, she had adjusted well, and I noticed that she had thrown up in 2 places in one day, she had also been itching a bit however, she is in need of a bath soon, is she sick or could her stomach have gotten too excited if she ate too much causing her to throw up?
Oh Alyssa, I really don’t know what to say about your little girl throwing up.
It could be something she ate, it could be a sign of something serious – is she still throwing up or was it just those two occasions?
I know my silvermitt occasionally throws up but then she’s fine … I don’t know why she does it but I keep an eagle eye on her and haven’t seen any signs to show that she’s doing it because she’s not well.
Maybe that’s the same with your girl but it’d be impossible for me to say.
If you’re concerned, please take her to a ferret vet to be checked out for your own peace of mind. Ferrets are great at masking their illness until it’s too late so it’s always good to be safe rather than sorry, that is to see a vet if you’re worried.
As for itching, it could be because her skin is dry (if you have the heating up in the house perhaps that has affected her skin) and other innocent reasons, but it could also be a sign of adrenal gland disease. Again, if you think she’s scratching a lot more than normal, please take her to your vet in case it is due to adrenal problems 🙁
Hugs to your little one from her new buddies down under 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
I just found out that on eof my ferrets are sick with water looking poop. They all have messed up fur. What could i do?
One of my ferrets sorry
Isabella, please take your ferret to the vet as only they will be able to tell you what’s wrong with your ferret and why he has watery poop!
I hope it’s nothing serious but if it is something contagious, that would mean your other ferrets are at risk of getting sick and/or dying 🙁
I’d suggest you get some electrolytes to put in the water as it’s important to keep a sick ferret hydrated.
If you don’t have anything for ferrets, then you can use unflavoured Pedialyte and add half Pedialyte and half room temperature water. Do NOT give anything like Gatorade to your ferret/s it has too much sugar, which is bad for ferrets.
If your ferret/s won’t drink it on its own, then you’ll have to syringe it into its mouth, but be VERY CAREFUL you do not get it into its lungs!
Add it gently to the side of your ferret’s mouth and put a few drops at a time – don’t squirt it all in quickly.
Try to get it to take about 15mls (1 tablespoon) every 3-4 hours and PLEASE get it to your vet ASAP!!
Ferrets go downhill so quickly when they’re ill that it’s imperative to make sure it’s taken to the vet as soon as possible! <-- Sorry to repeat that but it's so important!! Good luck! ~Nona
So my ferret is about 6 months old. She has been eating less, not playing, moping around for the past week. I have already taken her to the vet. X-rays are good, temp is fine. The vet still put her on an antibiotic to be safe, and said she should feel better in the next 48 hours. It has been that amount of time, and she hasn’t seemed to get noticeably better. We are supposed to call the vet if she is still looking ill, but the next step is exploratory surgery which is really pricey. Are there any suggestions you might consider?
Oh Shawna, I am so sorry to hear about your ferret. It really is lousy when our babies get sick 🙁
I honestly don’t know what to suggest though 🙁
The thing is that if your ferret swallowed foam or something similar, it wouldn’t show up on x-rays; however I would imagine that if she DID have a blockage, it would affect her temperature … or would it? I honestly don’t know :/
Does her poop look normal or does it look greenish and skinny? If it does look odd, then it could be a blockage and she would definitely need surgery 🙁
What you must do is make sure she drinks because you don’t want her to get dehydrated – pinch a bit of the skin on the back of her neck. If it stays up, then she’s dehydrated, if it falls back into place, she’s okay. You can get sachets of electrolytes from the vet or maybe even from a pet store but if you can’t get one from those places, you can use unflavoured Pedialyte for kids. You can mix it with water with a half-half ratio and then give her 15mls (1 Tbs) to drink every 3-4 hours.
I would also give her a smoothie with supplements to make sure she’s getting good stuff into her. Get no lactose milk (about 150mls), add one egg yolk, and the supplement I would recommend is Astaxanthin but get a good quality brand as some of the cheaper brands are useless.
If you get a capsule, get a thumb tack to prick it and drop about 2 drops into the milk. Mix it all together really well and serve 😀
Do you think you should take your little girl to another vet for a 2nd opinion or do you have complete faith in your vet?
Sorry I can’t be of more help – I really hope you find out what’s wrong with your baby and get her back to her old self soon!
Hugs to your girl from her new friends down under 🙂
~Nona
so im new to ferrets i have a little female i have had her for about 3 months now shes 6 months old today i noticed she has some dieriah she is still playing and drinking well just her poop looks diffrent is this something i should be worried about i have not changed her food at all
Attached image:
Oh Aarron, your little girl is beautiful!
I honestly don’t know if you should be worried about her diarrhea – she might have found something to eat which you didn’t notice and that might have caused her poop to change.
Take a look at this page, which has photos of different kinds of poop at the end, and see if you can recognise what her poop is like.
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-poop.html
Hopefully it won’t be anything to be concerned about but if you are worried, please take her to see a ferret vet. It’s always better to be safe than sorry 🙂
If you haven’t got a vet yet, please check out my page about Ferret Vets to (hopefully) find one near to you.
Hugs to your little girl from my guys 😀
Cheers
~Nona
My ferret has been losing hair on belly she eight years old would it be the age
Hi Jeff
If a ferret has adrenal gland disease, the hair loss *usually* starts at the base of the tail and goes up the spine but that is not a hard and fast rule :/
It could be alopecia and older ferrets do end up having a thinner coat that youngsters.
If you’re concerned, please take her to a ferret vet. If you’re in the States then the vet can take some blood from your ferret and send it to UTenn. They provide a blood assay that measures the circulating levels of several hormones produced by the adrenal glands. Elevated hormone levels support the clinical diagnosis of adrenal disease.
I’m afraid I don’t know if it’s an expensive procedure or not but if it comes back clear, then you’ll have peace of mind 🙂
Hugs to your lovely old lady from her new friends down under 😀
Cheers
~Nona
My baby girl was rescued about 2 months ago she was already a very calm and chill little girl I got her vet checked and she was perfect and healthy and vet said she was about 3 years old now tonight I went to take all 4 of my babies out to play and as I sat her on the ground she has not wanted to move or play or even eat treats like she normally does I’m worried she might be sick or maybe I’m just seeing her as being sick when she might be tired maybe my hubby says she looks like her normal self…am I crazy or should I spend the money to go get her vet checked???
Hi Sam
I honestly do not know what to suggest :/
I’d like to think that since the vet gave her a clean bill of health then you shouldn’t be worried. However I do understand that ferrets can go downhill very quickly so if she is ill, then it’d be a good idea to take her for another check up!
Having said that, I also know how ferrets can occasionally give us big scares by doing something odd or acting differently.
One of my girls, Kimiko, has given me some grey hairs these past couple of days by either lying on the bed and looking like she’s feeling unwell, or like this morning, coming out of the bathroom and going straight into the bed to sleep, which was totally unlike her 😮 But then a couple of hours later she was bouncing around the house like a mad thing!
So I guess if you think it’d make you feel less stressed, take her to the vet and find out if there’s anything wrong with her. I’ve always said it pays for a ferret owner to be paranoid 🙂
I hope that’s been of some help – I’m just sorry I can’t give you more advice!
Hugs to your little girl from her new buddies down under 😀
Cheers
~Nona
Hey I have a male ferret I don’t know his age exactly I got him from a family online but he fell out the cage about a month ago n now for the past couple of days he’s hasn’t been eating or drinking he only drink when I hold his neck but starts foaming out his mouth he does eat at all poop or pees he doesn’t play he has no balance he falls n he’s just laying sleeping all the time n looking at me he has foam coming out sometimes n he has a noise like he’s congested is my ferret dying ???? ????
This is him now
Can someone tell me how can I help my ferret I’m going nuts I need to know what’s wrong with him n how to help !!
Cassandra, you MUST take him to a ferret vet ASAP! Don’t leave him or he will die!!!
I have no idea what could have happened to him when he fell but it doesn’t sound good if he can’t eat or drink on his own 🙁
Please – if you don’t have a good vet – check my Vets page to hopefully find one near you but DO NOT LEAVE IT ANY LONGER!
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets.html
My female ferret is about 6-7 years old and has suddenly became sick. She threw up in her cage, drooling from the mouth, refused to drink anything, and is lazy. Like all she wants to do is lay around, to the point where she doesn’t even want to lift her head. Her breathing is also very rapid….what do I do?
Oh Teri
You really MUST get your little girl to a vet ASAP!
Drooling could mean insulinoma and if she gets put on pred, that would help her system balance out so that she improves but only a vet will be able to tell you if it’s that or not.
If you leave her, she will die 🙁
I’d suggest you read this page and give her some honey on her gums to try and stabilise her until you get her to the vet…
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/insulinoma-in-ferrets.html
I hope that that is what is wrong because if it’s something else, the honey won’t help but it definitely will if it is that.
Please check out the page and rub honey on her gums and let me know if she improves … and PLEASE GET HER TO THE VET ASAP!
She will need medication for the rest of her life if it is that disease.
I hope you manage to get her stabilised until you see the vet. The poor little girl 🙁
I have an ferret and she has gained alot of weight however it’s hard for her to get up the stairs and when we first got her she was fast and could get up the stairs easily also her tail is loosing hair what does this mean?
Hair loss on the tail is a sign of adrenal gland disease 🙁 You can read more about it and what you can do for your ferret on this page …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/adrenal-gland-disease-in-ferrets.html
What are you feeding your ferret? You might want to read about what the best diet for ferrets is and see if you should put your girl on a diet to get her back to being lean and fast again!
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/what-do-ferrets-eat.html
Re the hair loss – please take your little one to a ferret vet to get checked out as there are things which can help your girl live a relatively happy life despite having that wretched disease!
Hope that’s been of some help!
Hugs to your little baby from her new friends down under 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
Hey, we have had our ferret for about four years now, but recently we got a puppy and… lets just say he didn’t take it so well. He lost a lot of weight and he refuses to eat, but otherwise his behavior is normal when he isn’t hiding from the new puppy. When we took the puppy to the vet, we figured out that he had worms, and we were worried that our ferret also got worms… what should we do?
Cody, you’ll be able to see any worms in your ferret’s litter box and if you do, I’d advice going to the vet to find out which worming paste would be best for him,
It really is a worry that your ferret is losing weight and not eating 🙁
Have you offered your puppy your ferret’s bottom to sniff? I did that with all our ferrets whenever we got a new dog and before long, they were all best buddies.
Always be around when your puppy is near your ferret to make sure the puppy is not too boisterous and scaring your boy. If the dog gets too enthusiastic, tell him no and pick up your ferret and makes sure that he knows you’re his champion and will look after him.
It might take a while but with patience and persistence, you should be able to get them to – if not be best buddies, then certainly tolerate one another!!
I hope it all works out and you have a happy family soon!
Hugs to both your little man and your pup from their new friends down under 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
Hi. We have had our ferret for almost two years and have had no issues. Plays eats and is just a bundle of joyful. I boarded her for a week at our local exotic vet because i had to leave town and when my husband brought her home she was pale and lethargic. Took her back to the vet the same day and they said it was possible heat exhaustion from the car ride. She spent the night at the vet was given fluids and antibiotics. Brought her home the next day and she looks better but literally has no energy. She will eat then sleep. I wake her just so i know she is drinking enough. How long will it take for her to recover? Or do i need to take her to a different vet? Sincerely, fine now not fine
Hi MB
I would definitely take your little girl to another vet for a 2nd opinion.
It seems really odd that she should be fine when you took her to the boarding place and come back pale and lethargic. She might have caught something from there from another animal (?) or maybe the food wasn’t right for her. Maybe she was bitten by an insect and that’s affecting her?
I’m afraid I have no ideas as to what could have happened to her so if you can find another ferret vet nearby, please take her and see what they say.
One supplement which I think is terrific is ASTAXANTHIN and I’ve been putting a couple of drops in my guys’ daily smoothie. It’s an antioxidant and I believe it really helps our little guys keep healthy.
http://www.naturalnews.com/Files/Astaxanthin.pdf
Scroll down to Chapter 11, where it talks about the benefits of giving the supplement to animals.
I hope they find out what’s troubling your little girl and that she bounces back to her normal self soon!
Hugs to your little one from her new buddies down under 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
I have recently found out that there is only one vet who treats ferrets. I have been thinking she has an infection and am taking her in first thing in the morning. As of right she just lays and will not eat and I can barely get any drops of water in her without possible aspiration. The dr told me he did not run a blood screen which I will have him do first thing in the morning. Thank you for responding. I thought she would improve in 24 hrs after bringing her home but it seems she is getting worse. Pray she makes it through. She is our proud and joy, a family member. BTW. Any idea how long a ferret needs to be exposed to heat for it to cause changes? Just for peace of mind. I truely think something else is going on and not “heat exposure”. Thank you again.
MB, I have a page about heat stroke so you might want to look through it to see if her symptoms match …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/heatstroke-in-ferrets.html
Make sure your girl doesn’t get dehydrated as that will make things worse. More information here …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/dehydration-in-ferrets.html
I will pray hard for her recovery … having just lost two of my girls within weeks of each other, I know how you are feeling :'(
Please let me know what the vet says.
Attached image:
Thank you for info, continued support and hugs! I tear up just writing you back. So, went to the vet yesterday and of course he is out of town. The vet avaiable treats ferrets but no one can draw blood. How can you treat a sickness if you dont know what it is. She had a fever of 106.5. Turns out she has an infection which I already knew and I am not a vet. This has been going on when we first got her back (wed) now Sunday morning in the states. She was definitely dehydrated. Yesterday she was given fluids sub q and food from a syringe. The facility told me to go to a different city where blood could be drawn since the only dr that could was not available. Mind you this is three hours away one way. I refuse to keep my little one in the car in a cage and uncomfortable for hours! I asked the facility to give me the essentials to keep her going until Monday. So since yesterday I am giving her fluids, electrolytes and 3 different kinds of antibiotics. She perked up for the first time last night but only for a few minutes. She is so weak I hope she gets through til Monday. The info has been very helpful seeing how no one at the facility has been too helpful. I will keep you informed. Good to know on the pedialyte, I will give her more than I have through out the day. THANK YOU AGAIN!!!!!!! ?
Hey, my ferret she keeps on coughing like everyday and im getting a bit worried about her. should I tell the vet because I need to go there any way for a flea treatment.
And my other ferret tiger some times acts really scared and just stares at the back door and just stands there when there’s nothing there. Slinky never does that and when Tiger does it it sort of creeps me out..
Slinky Tiger – yes, do get your vet to check out your ferret during the flea treatment.
My rescue boys both had little coughs when I first got them but one of them started coughing quite a bit so I was concerned. Took him to our vet and she gave him a clean bill of health so that was great for my peace of mind!
Hopefully your vet will also find nothing wrong with your girl but if not, at least you can get treatment for whatever is wrong!
Hugs to Tiger and Slinky from their new friends down under 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
Thanks the vet said she just was coughing from dust or something and I remembered that she was attacking a broom the day before. 🙂
So glad there was nothing wrong with your little lady 😀
We have a female ferret that is just not well . We went in to feed them and she is just lifeless. Not sure what to do for her this time of night. She’s taking water threw a dropper but she won’t eat play or even offer to move. Any suggestions
Googley, you really need to take her to a (ferret) vet as she sounds really sick 🙁
It could be that she has a blockage (have you seen her poop? Is it thin or skinny?). Did she suddenly go lifeless or was she lethargic earlier?
Blockages can make a ferret go into a slump all of a sudden but it’s obvious that it builds up due to the ferret not being able to poop!
But it could also be because of a host of other things – I truly have no idea what 🙁
I would suggest that if you can’t take her to the vet immediately then please get some electrolytes to put in the water and get that down her.
Try making her kibble into mush and see if she’ll lick that off your finger.
She hasn’t had an insulinoma coma has she? If she goes into shock then you need to get some honey and rub it on her gums to get her out of the coma and then she needs to see a vet asap!
I’m so sorry I can give you any answers but I really hope you manage to get your little girl to a vet and hope she improves!
Cheers
~Nona
I gave her water and Gatorade for the electrolytes she has pooped a little but she’s fighting whatever she has she’s trying extremely hard. Vet doesn’t open till 9 am. I also gave her some antibiotics. She tried standing on her feet this morning about 5 am and was lifting her head which she wouldn’t do last night . Giving her around the clock attention. I’m just so worried over her. God bless her heart. Her brother is fine. He’s active and jolly . I hope she makes it. They been together since birth.
Oh Googley … I have fingers, toes, arms and legs crossed that your little lady gets better soon.
I know that having a sick ferret is one of the most stressful things for us ferret lovers so I hope you’re doing okay, all things considered!
{{{HUGS}}}
Attached image:
My ferrets not eating or drinking and looks like hes dizzy his head wobbles
He was fine this whole time and just Friday he wouldn’t move he try’s to play but you can tell he’s not feeling well he’s starting to poop runny and he’s peein on him self I Ben trying to give him water threw a robber he drinks it but he’s not eating
I’m not a vet so I honestly cannot tell you for sure what is wrong with your little guy.
When you mentioned that he looks dizzy and that his head wobbles, the first thing I thought of was insulinoma 🙁
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/insulinoma-in-ferrets.html
Please read up about the symptoms and see if they fit what your boy is showing.
The only thing I can recommend if he does have insulinoma, is to be sure to have honey available in case he goes into a coma because if you don’t get him out of the coma, he WILL die 🙁
You NEED TO TAKE HIM TO a *ferret* VET asap! The vet will check him out and if it IS insulinoma, then he’ll be put onto prednisone and that will regulate his sugar levels and he’d be in a better condition than he is now.
However if you think it’s not insulinoma, then you MUST take him to a vet to find out what’s wrong with him. Don’t leave him or he might pass away 🙁
Hugs to your sick fellow from his new friends from down under!
~Nona
My ferret is very lethargic and twitches. He won’t eat or drink. He’ll wake up then slowly lay back down. Poop is like a tar. He has some crust around eyes.
Shawna – I am not a vet so can’t give you a definite answer as to what’s wrong with your ferret but I’m afraid I think he’s got Canine Distemper 🙁
http://vicferrets.org.au/canine-distemper-in-ferrets/
Please take him to a vet as soon as possible because if he DOES have it, then it’s very possible that he can infect any other animals you have 🙁 🙁
If it is that, I’m sorry to say that there isn’t a cure as far as I know. The vet will probably euthanise your little fellow to put him out of his misery :'(
I hope to God I’m wrong but when you said he twitches and has crusts around his eyes, that set off warning bells in my head.
So sorry I can’t give you any good news 🙁
~Nona
Hi ,I have a 2 month old female (baby girl) I just bought her for my son for Christmas from petco ,she is fine she plays well and eats fine her poop is normal but the problem, if it is one ,is she sneezes very frequently. I dust the room regular, and keep it vacuumed really well .she was doing it when I brought her home .and when she gets in my ear it sounds like her little nose is stuffed up.maybe I’m freaking out a little ,she’s not due for a checkup till next month .is there something I can do for her ? I keep her bedding cleaned daily and her litter box as well .thank you and happy new year.
Hi TJ
Believe it or not, I have a rescue boy who has the exact same problem 😮
When I first got him and his brother, they both sounded like they’d occasionally make a strange squeaking noise but then it was only one of them who’d start honking like a goose! That noise didn’t last for long – perhaps 30 seconds – but it worried me so I took him to my vet.
She checked his chest and poked around and said he was fine, so not to worry. That was about 2 months ago.
Just recently he sounds like he has a cold – he sneezes and, again only occasionally, has a sneezing fit 😮
Unfortunately my vet is away on vacation for 3 weeks so I’ve made an appointment to see her when she’s back so I can’t tell you what she said. I’m wondering if maybe he has an allergy to dust or something and maybe your little girl has the same problem?
I know what you said about dusting the room and vacuuming but you know how ferrets can go under couches and chairs and it’s not always possible to vacuum all the dust up from under those bits of furniture 😉
I want to take my boy to my vet mainly for my own peace of mind – he doesn’t sneeze or make odd noises often but when he does, I get worried! I’m sure if there was something wrong with his chest my vet would have picked it up the last time I took him so I would suggest that you shouldn’t worry about it and just tell your vet when she has her check up!
I’ll post what my vet says on the 20th and if there is anything to worry about, I’ll let you know immediately. Fingers crossed I’m right in my assessment 🙂
Hugs to your little girl from her new friends down under!
Thanks for your new year wishes – I hope you and your loved ones, and pets, all have a very happy and healthy 2017 😀
Cheers
~Nona
I got my ferret from the humane society, said she was a stray with fleas. I asked them to have the vet triple check that there was no fleas left when I come to pick her up a few days later and the girl said we wouldn’t let you see her if she wasent completely healthy. A couple of days later they let me take her home I noticed on my way home she was a he and that he was infested with ticks. So he had fleas and they took care of it. And I’ve been taking care of the ticks haven’t seen any in three days, gave him front line for cats and kittens and he also has ear mites and I’ve been putting stuff in his ears every two days. He’s still scratches a lot and doesn’t do much other then sleep in his cage or lay there with his eyes completely open. I did take him to the vet and they had no idea what else to do. Any ideas if there something more wrong with him then just having the ear mites now that everything else is gone? He also licks me a lot! And doesn’t seem to eat much idk if that helps
Hi Bobbi
I was wondering what advice I could give you about your ferret and the only thing I could think of was that *maybe* he’s anemic. Having all those fleas and ticks on him could have weakened his immune system. Take a look at his gums and if they’re pale, rather than red, that means he is anemic 🙁
You could go to your vet and ask him what he suggests you could give him to fix that problem but you might also want to give him a daily smoothie to help his system get back to normal.
I would recommend this:
100ml no lactose/pet milk
1 egg yolk
A few drops of astaxanthin
1/4 teaspoon organic UNREFINED coconut oil
Whisk it together and serve.
You can read about the benefits of astaxanthin here (scroll down to “Love your pet”)
http://www.naturalnews.com/Files/Astaxanthin.pdf
And although this article is about the goodness of coconut oil for dogs, I think it applies to ferrets as well …
http://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/coconut-oil-dogs-understanding-benefits-and-risks
Another thing – Revolution is brilliant for getting rid of fleas, ticks ear mites & heartworm so if you find your poor little guy has fleas, etc, get a tube of the 5-15lb cat dose of Revolution and put it between his shoulder blades so that he can’t lick it off. 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. Obviously for heartworm prevention, you’d need to give it to him every month but if you’re not worried about heartworm in your area, then just give him Revolution once 🙂
I hope this will be of help to you and I especially hope my suggestions will help your little guy!
Hugs to him from his new friends down under 😀
Cheers
~Nona
I bought two girl fereets from a guy online he said the ferrets love to play…this is my first time having a ferret…when they got to my house they have ate fine and drank fine but for some odd reason they like dog food better then the cat food. They really dont play they jist walk around the house and explore if they are not asleep once in a blue moo. They will sneeze and that is it but they dont play is it because they are older? Or jist really calm ferrets? They let my kids hold them with no problem they really dont care…and they sleep in my dresser. With my clothes but as of yesterday i have not seen my second ferret and ahe has not came out at all to deink or eat and my house is ferret proof and i can not find her. They usually just go to my room or living room and that is it but she is nowhere to be found. So i am wondering where could she be and is everything i explained about them even normal?
Dulce, have you found your other ferret? I hope she didn’t go outside 🙁 Please get a squeaky toy and squeak it to see if she’s found a special sleeping spot in your house. Most ferrets tend to come running if they hear the squeaky so I hope she does too.
If you think she’s somehow got outside, please read up my Lost Ferret page to see what to do to find her.
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/lost-ferret.html
Some ferrets are very calm and cool when they get to a new place – I think you’re lucky to have such placid ferrets for your first ones 🙂 I’m sure that once they know that they’re in their new, loving home, they’ll relax and then do their weasel wardance and start being just a little bit crazy 😀
Please don’t let them eat dog food as it really has no nutritional value and could harm them in the long term. Giving them good quality dry cat or ferret food is essential to them having a healthy life. If you need help with what kind of food to get for them, there’s a very good chart here …
http://ferretedu.weebly.com/ferret-food-charts.html
I really hope you’ve found your other girl and that you will enjoy being a ferret parent with them 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
My son was trying to help and give our ferret a bath but he got the water way to hot. When I tried to cool him down with semi warm water he started to sieze. I don’t have a vet that knows about exotic animals anywhere close by. He stayed catatonic for quite awhile. Now he is kinda trying to move and has his eyes open but I don’t know what to do.
Angel, I honestly have never experienced such a thing so don’t know what to suggest apart from keeping him cool!
Ferrets don’t have sweat glands so they suffer badly in the heat. Rather than semi-warm water, splash cold water on him and keep wiping him down with a cool wet cloth.
Has he improved at all since you posted your comment?
Take a look at my US Vets page – I hope you’ll be able to find someone good near you …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets-usa.html
Sorry I can’t be of more help. I’ve asked some other ferret owners if they have any suggestions on what you should do so if I hear back from them, I’ll let you know.
I hope your little guy is better now – such a worry 🙁
hi my name is sandy and my ferret is 3 months old he is a baby and he is not playing that much he is not eating that much and im worry.
I have a ferret he is a baby he is 3 months old and he is getting sick foe the past 3 days he hasn’t been playing that much and he is loosing a little bit of hair and im very worry what should I do>?? I don’t have enough money to take him to the vet?? he plays but not to much and sometimes he just laydown and won’t move that much
Hi Sandy
I honestly don’t know what to say to help your baby.
You say he’s losing hair but he’s way too young to have adrenal gland disease so maybe it’s seasonal shedding or maybe he has fleas. I don’t know – only a vet can tell you 🙁
Take a look at this page and see if you can figure out if his hair loss is because of any of the reasons listed there …
http://www.petmd.com/ferret/conditions/skin/c_ft_alopecia
And this is my page about Adrenal Gland Disease … have a look at see if you see any symptoms that your boy might have which shows that he does have this disease …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/adrenal-gland-disease-in-ferrets.html
A reader has written an article about how she helped her ferrets with adrenal problems by giving them certain supplements which worked in lessening the symptoms …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/thechocandblancshow.html
If you think he might have this disease, why not try giving him the supplements which Lisa wrote about?
Is his poop normal? If it looks a bit thin then maybe he’s swallowed something and has a partial blockage in his gut. The partial blockage could also be because of his grooming and if he’s got seasonal shedding, he might have a furball.
One of my readers talked about pureed pumpkin being good to clean out a ferret’s gut in case there is a furball …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/the-wonders-of-canned-pure-pumpkin.html
You don’t need to buy a can – get a small piece of pumpkin, take off the rind, cut it into small pieces and steam it until soft. Then just mash it so that it’s soft and like mashed potatoes, no lumps, and give the amount the article says to your ferret.
Are you feeding your ferret a good diet? If he’s only eating cheap cat food that could make him sick.
This site gives you a good chart about what brands are good and which ones are bad for ferrets …
http://ferretedu.weebly.com/ferret-food-charts.html
I understand that you say you haven’t got enough money to take your baby to the vet, Sandy. Is there not a vet where you can pay the bill in instalments?
It worries me that there might be something wrong with your ferret which needs medication to get it better and if you don’t get vet care, then your ferret might die :'(
I really hope that something here will help your ferret and improve his well-being!
Good luck and big hugs to your little boy from his new friends down under 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
My male ferret Buddy has recently gotten into a tub of cocoa butter lotion, his poop is white and grainy and he is not playing. I let him out to play and normally he is excited but now he goes right back to bed.. I have recently bought a baby ferret to keep him company and he seemed to really like her but I don’t know if her presence has changed things either. Going to the vet in a couple days if things don’t turn around. Any tips on how to care for him in the mean time?
Hi Ruth
Has Buddy become more active now?
I honestly don’t know what to suggest apart from keeping an eye on him and making sure he’s eating and drinking properly.
His poop must look strange because of the cocoa butter lotion – hopefully once he’s pooped all the lotion out he’ll feel better. It might be a good idea to get the vet to check him out just so that you have peace of mind, knowing he’s okay.
So sorry I haven’t got any definite advice for you 🙁
Hugs to your ferrets from their new buddies down under!
Cheers
~Nona
Hello,
I have a weird situation. My ferret dobbie apparently sometimes screams in his sleep …he shows no other signs of disease or appetite change or play change. My roommate said she heard him screaming saying it’s seizures
I find this a little extreme but im fielding out for help
Oh Cassandra … I am so sorry to hear about Dobbie screaming 🙁 I confess I’ve never come across that happening to any of my guys!
To be honest, I don’t know what to suggest! Maybe it’s just bad dreams?!?!
Is it really a scream or is Dobbie just making a noise in his dreams? I assume you’ve heard it? I know your roommate heard it but I was thinking that if your roommate wasn’t well versed in ferret habits, she might have mistaken the scream for something else?
It would be good if you took him to a (ferret) vet so that he could be checked out and if it’s nothing, then you can rest assured if you hear him making that noise during the night.
So sorry I can’t give you a definite answer but I do hope what I’ve said will help :/
Hugs to Dobbie from his new buddies down under 😀
Cheers
~Nona
My ferret fell yesterday and hasn’t been quite the same. The next morning I checked on him and he seems to be that his stomach is hurting him. He hasn’t ate and is not drinking water. And everytime I touch him on his belly it starts to move funny. Please help!
Olga, your comment was put in the spam folder so I only saw it today, when I was cleaning the folder out. I am so sorry 🙁
Is your ferret better now? He really needs to see a vet so please get him to one as soon as possible!
If you need to find a ferret vet, hopefully you’ll find one in the country you live in …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets.html
I honestly don’t know what the problem could be for your ferret but he might have damaged one of his organs and that’s what’s causing the pain in his stomach 🙁
I hope you manage to get him fixed up!
~Nona
Hello,
I’m very concerned about my ferret. She is close to a year old or younger. Last night I noticed she did not want to move around and was lethargic. When I picked her up she was clenching my arm but is usually relaxed.She was also Trembling and very weak. I notice her litter box is Empty and remembered I just changed her food. I’ve been giving her water through a syringe but she is getting worse. I plan on getting her regular food back this morning. Could the change be the cause of all this????
Hi Sara
Please take your baby to the vet AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!
No, changing her food would not cause such a reaction and I honestly don’t know what is wrong with her. She needs medical help. The only thing I can think of is that she swallowed something which has blocked her gut so can’t poop. If you don’t get her seen to ASAP, she could die.
Also, can you get electrolytes to give her as that will help more than plain water.
Sara, again I urge you to get her to a ferret vet as an emergency as she sounds really sick 🙁
If you don’t have a ferret vet, please check my vets’ page …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets.html
I have a female ferret im not sure how old she is but ive had her for a couple months and she was playing and doing really good and she was doing really good about going to the bathroom in her liter box but shes not anymore and she will poop or try to every couple of minutes and she just isnt acting the same does anyone know whats going on
Hi Kerra
I’m not really sure what to suggest as you said she wasn’t acting the same, but what do you mean by that? Is it just the pooping everywhere that has you worried or is she acting sluggish, lethargic or what?
I wouldn’t worry too much about her not pooping where she should as it seems to be a ferret thing. They’ll go from being wonderfully litter trained to hopeless without any reason.
However if she’s not herself then I strongly suggest you take her to a ferret vet for a check-up. It could be nothing (which I hope it will be) or she might have some underlying illness which is making her act oddly 🙁 Ferrets are so good at hiding any illnesses until they crash so it would be best for her to have a vet look at her.
Hugs to your little girl from her new buddies down under 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
Kerra … see what I mean 😀
Attached image:
I have 4 year old panda Marshall ferret. About 6 days ago I noticed he started grinding his teeth really bad whenever he tries to eat. I also noticed that he had started to lose a significant amount of weight and was dehydrated. I of course took him to the vet. They told me that all of his blood work was fine and that his teeth were ok. They said he most likely had an upset stomach and gave me some probiotic paste and a vitamin gel and told me to use this. They also gave him 60 ml of fluid. This was about three days ago. He still seems to be unable to eat. As soon as he gets and kind of food in his mouth he starts to over salivate and grind his teeth. If I look into his mouth the food is in the middle of his mouth like he can’t chew it or something. I’m have to give him mushy food and water through a small syringe. PLEASE HELP if you have any idea what this could be.
Oh Steven, the only thing that I know which causes a ferret to grind its teeth is pain in its stomach, like an ulcer 🙁
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/gastric-ulcers-in-ferrets.html
Take a look at the page and see if any of the signs are like your boy shows. If they seem to match, please take him back to the vet and get him to treat him for that.
I do know that some ferrets get really sore stomachs if they’re on prednesone but you didn’t say that he had any medications so it can’t be that.
If the vet said that his teeth were okay then his reluctance to eat can’t be because of a broken tooth or something like that.
You might want to get is electrolytes from the vet to add to his water – they will help him to feel better if he’s not drinking much.
Are you happy that your vet is experienced in dealing with ferrets? If not, please take a look at my Vets page to see if there is a ferret vet near to where you live.
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets.html
I hope that you’ll find out what’s troubling your boy soon and that he bounces back quickly!
Good luck, and please give your boy a hug from his new friends down under 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
Lily our ferret is 7 years old. 2 days ago she was fine but today she can’t walk, shivering, has lost alot of weight, poo is black and softer and smaller than usual and really looks like she’s dying. Has she been poisoned.? Please help
Oh Kris, I am so sorry to hear that about Lily.
I honestly don’t know what could be wrong with her – you really need to get to her a ferret vet asap to be checked out. It could be that she has an illness, like lymphoma, as that comes on really quickly! If she does have that, then she’ll need medication so only the vet will be able to give her what she needs.
My last boy developed lymphoma and it was like he was fine one day and the next he was pooping like he had a blockage – green, gassy poop. Took him to the vet and after an xray and ultrasound, they told me what it was 🙁
Do you have a good vet to take her to? If you don’t, please check out my Vets Pages to hopefully find someone who knows ferrets near to where you live!
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets.html
I hope you manage to get Lily fixed up asap – please don’t delay as ferrets go downhill very quickly 🙁
Wishing you the best of luck on getting Lily better.
~Nona
My ferret is usually always playful. I took him out of a little when I came out of work then I put him back in the cage. He just looks at me and lays down. Is my ferret sick? Because when I took him out I️t you as just for 5 minutes?!
Oh Carmen, I honestly don’t know what to say 🙁
Have you checked his poop — is it normal? Is he eating and drinking properly?
I can only suggest that if you’re worried about him, you should take him to a ferret vet to be checked out.
There are many diseases which happen “suddenly” … one day a ferret is fine but the next day he’s acting oddly and it’s because of insulinoma, or lymphoma, or whatever other wretched diseases they catch 🙁
If you don’t know of a ferret vet, please take a look at my vets page – hopefully you’ll find a good one near to where you live.
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets.html
I’m sorry I can’t give you any advice but I do hope your ferret will be fine!
Hugs to your little boy from his new friends down under 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
Hi, my male ferrets is about 7 months old, and he over the past week has gotten very lathargic and I have noticed he hasn’t been eating. He is still drinking water, and playing with my other pets, however his bones are much more prominent- so I’m very concerned. A few days ago he had a bunch of fleas, so I bathed him and put a topical flea medicine on him I got from the vet- which has solved the problem. Also, he has had some diarrhea. What do I do to get him to eat? He normally eats cat food or the dogs food- with less than 3% fiber. Please help, I’d like to help him as much as possible before taking him to the vet.
Hi Sarah
I must say that I don’t know what is wrong with your boy. He could have juvenile lymphoma or it could be a reaction to the topical flea medicine you put on him.
See if any of these symptoms fit what he has …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/lymphosarcoma-in-ferrets.html
My boy Dash was only 5 when he got that horrible cancer and it happened so suddenly that I thought he had a blockage as his poop was all green and gassy! Unfortunately it was lymphosarcoma 🙁
The only thing I can think of to help him is for you to get some Carnivore Care (I’m assuming you’re in the States? We can’t get Carnivore Care in Australia!) and try to get him to put some weight on …
http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/our-products/professional-line/carnivore-care/
Another thing which I think would be good for him is a daily smoothie of no lactose milk, one egg yolk and a squirt of Astaxanthin, all mixed well and served at room temperature 😉 If you have other ferrets, they too would benefit from having it with your boy. I give my two wolverines that and our dog loves it so much that I have to make enough so that he gets it to drink every evening as well!!
I get my supplements from the Australian site of iHerb.com and I’m so glad to see the selection that we can finally get nowadays.
*IF* your vet says that it is juvenile lymphoma that your boy has, then I would recommend you get Essiac from iHerb as I believe it will help him. You can read more about that supplement on the Lymphoma page.
I hope that I’m really wrong about lymphoma and that the vet will give your boy a clean bill of health!
Good luck and hugs to your little guy from his new friends down under!
Cheers
~Nona
My ferret Jack Daniels was fine yesterday he was his playful self gave him a bath and did his nails and today he is just not himself he is laying around doesn’t want to play he acts like he is sick just really weak what could this be.
Hi Kali
I honestly don’t know what is wrong with Jack Daniels but I do know that ferrets are very good at hiding their illnesses and I’ve experienced my own babies being fine one day and not good the next 🙁
I would suggest you take him to a ferret-savvy vet to be checked over. I truly couldn’t guess what might be wrong so far better for your peace of mind to take him to the vet and find out if he’s got something wrong with him or he was just having a bad day.
I hope you have a vet nearby, if not please check out my vets pages and hopefully you’ll find someone close by.
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets.html
Good luck and I hope Jack Daniels gets back to his old self as soon as possible!
Hugs to your little man from his new friends down under 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
Hello I had a quick question I have just recently got two ferrets from a woman offline I’ve done a lot of research trying to learn as much as I can about ferrets from watching videos to books I just recently changed their food but I did start mixing it in before I went full-blown to the food and I have noticed soft stool and sometimes discoloration from what it normally is is kind of a bright green kind of color I know this is TMI but I’m worried that he is sick and not sure what to do it’s only in one of them should I just go back to the food if they were on before? The food that I have boughten is supposedly one of the best Brands but since they have not been on that and they’re 5 months old I’m wondering if that could be the reason that their stool is a different color
Hi Aubrey
I would suggest you keep an eye on your ferrets’ poop to see if it firms up at all. It would also be a good idea to take them both to a ferret-savvy vet for a check up to make sure they’re both in good health.
You mentioned their poop was a bright green? Does your ferret food have green colouring in it? If it does, then the green will definitely be from the food but I can’t imagine a good quality food having green colouring in it :/
This is a great food chart so take a look and see how your product fares ….
https://ferretedu.weebly.com/ferret-food-charts.html
If you are happy that the food you’re giving them is one of the best brands, then I would not change them back to their old food. Their stomachs will adjust, and so will they. However I do strongly suggest you have them checked out by a vet just for your own peace of mind.
Have you got a good vet nearby? If not, take a look at the ferret vets I’ve listed – hopefully you’ll find someone close to where you live who knows ferrets and will be a good vet for them 😀
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets.html
Hope all goes well with your babies and thank you for taking those two ferrets and giving them a loving home! 🙂
Cheers
~Nona
I have a question for my 2 month old ferret. I just got her about 4 days ago and in the past 2 days I’ve noticed she’s been sneezing a lot and making strange breathing noises especially when she is sleeping. The noises are like a soft ‘shew’ sound that are quick and often there’s a few more after the first. Since she’s new and this is my first ferret I can’t really tell what is normal for her or not. I’m worried that she might be sick. Is this normal for ferrets to sneeze and make that noise? Should I take her to the vet?
Hi Taazara
Apologies for not replying sooner but I was down and out with the flu for about a week 🙁
Your ferret might be sneezing because she got under the furniture where there was a lot of dust.
As for the wheezing when she’s sleeping – some ferrets do make adorable little sounds when they are sleeping and your girl might just be one of those. However if you are worried, I can only suggest that you take her to a ferret knowledgement vet to get checked over in case she does have something wrong with her.
If you don’t already have a good vet then hopefully you’ll find one near to where you are from the list I’ve compiled …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets.html
Hugs to your little girl from her new friends down under 😀
Cheers
~Nona
I’m trying to find a vet near me to take my baby girl to anyone know if a vet near perry county ohio..
I know that ferrets can not sweat, however when I came home from work this evening my Burt was lethargic and not acting like he normally does. His fur felt dampish to me and his eyes were kinda watery as well as his poor little pink nose which was warm. He apparently hasn’t had much of an appetite today either normally after a 10 hour shift I come home to an empty bowl and an extremely happy boy cause he can get back out and play. Tonight however he shunned me when I went to get him out. He has also been sneezing alot since I’ve been home also. Please help!? I just got them 3 months ago form a lady online who was gonna put him and his brother down because she didn’t want them. The vet said they were in good health a month ago.
Oh Laura – I honestly can’t imagine what might be wrong with Burt 🙁
Would he have caught the flu from someone? I take it all their vaccinations are up-to-date?
I would strongly advise you take Burt to the vet to find out what is the matter with him. I’m afraid I’ve never had a ferret with the symptoms you describe so I can’t give you any suggestions as to what might be wrong 🙁
Please don’t delay taking him to the vet as ferrets go downhill very quickly!
I hope it’s nothing serious and that your vet gets Burt back to normal as soon as possible.
Hugs to your boys from their new friends down under and a special message to Burt … “Get well soon!”
Good luck!
~Nona
My usually overly hyper ferret is acting very tired and is not wanting to play, usually when I want to hold Link he gets riled up and starts to play but when I went to take my ferrets out today he didnt jump up right away when I opened the cage doors and he allowed me to hold him which never happens, now that I have him out to play he is curled up under my blankets and not coming out, he seems to be moving very slowly as well as having a slight cough and continuously itching, I actually broke my foot on the 7th of April and have been staying upstairs so I have not been able to take them out to play as often as I would like so I am not sure if this is depression or sickness, any help would be greatly appreciated.
Oh Samantha – I don’t think Link’s symptoms are because he’s depressed but I really don’t know what might be wrong with him 🙁
The itching *could* be a symptom of adrenal disease or because his skin is too dry. The cough – perhaps he caught the flu? Moving slowly – I honestly don’t know why he’s not energetic.
Do you have a ferret vet nearby so that you can take him to be checked over?
Remember that ferrets are very stoic, so don’t usually show their illness until they really are sick so it’s important that you take him to a vet ASAP!
If you haven’t got one, please take a look at my vets page so that you can perhaps find one close to you.
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets.html
I’m sorry I can’t give you any ideas about what might be wrong with Link.
Hope all goes well with your little man and his new buddies down under send him ‘get well’ hugs 🙂
Wishing you and Link all the best
Cheers
~Nona
I could hear my ferret walking very strange so I looked down from my bed and seen she went had pooped. It was diareah and then she started walking in circles and then she just laid down. My husband picked her up and she made a small noise as if it was hurting her. She was scratching atr her mouth so I thought maybe she got something stuck in her throat. He opened her mouth and we shined the flashlight and nothing was stuck. I’m not real sure What is going on with her. I put her in a box to contain her for the night. She’s resting right now and everything has seemed to calm down, but I’m really worried about her. I can’t take her into the vet until the morning. I’m not sure what else I can do ?. I hate seeing her hurting.
Oh Tamara, I wish I could tell what is wrong but I’m sorry, I really don’t know what could be the matter with your little girl 🙁
Did you change your ferret’s food or did she eat something which might have caused her diarrhea?
I really understand you being so worried about her but you’ll get the answer from your vet and I hope it’s nothing serious 🙁
Fingers crossed she just ate something which disagreed with her.
Hugs to your little girl from her new friends down under!
Cheers
~Nona
Umm hello…i have a ferret named..Pringle. He is not a year old yet mabey 8 months now. So basically…he has stayed in a cage in my room all his life..then do to the smell i moved him on my back porch. Its closed off and it is completly safe. So um basically his behavior has been very different and i am really concerned. He will run around and suddenly stop and lay down. His breathing is really weird..it seems strained. His heartbeat is faster as well. He moves slower and when he tries to run his breathing is really strained. His poop seems to be completly normal…and he continues to eat quite alot. Im really ? concerned. Please tell me that he will be okay..
Carla, I’m sorry but I honestly can’t imagine what is wrong with Pringle!
From what you told me, I’m wondering if maybe he got bitten by a mosquito and it gave him heartworm when you put him outside. The fact that he gets tired so easily isn’t right and also with the strained breathing, but I DO NOT KNOW if that is his problem ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Do you know if you’re in a heartworm area? If you are then you need to give him heartworm pills to protect him but he needs to be tested by the vet to make sure he hasn’t got it.
However maybe it’s nothing to do with heartworm 🙁 Maybe he has problems with his heart. Take a look at my page on heart problems and see if Pringle has any of the symptoms I’ve listed …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/cardiomyopathy-in-ferrets.html
But you MUST take him to a ferret vet to get checked out, Carla, so that you find out what is wrong with him. I’m not a vet – I can only guess at what *might* be wrong from having ferrets for 24 years.
Do you have a good vet to take Pringle to? If not, please have a look at the vets I’ve listed – hopefully you’ll find a vet near to where you live.
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets.html
I hope it’s nothing serious and your little boy will be back to his old self after you see the vet! Please don’t delay in going, as ferrets go downhill quite quickly so the sooner a vet sees him the better!
Hugs to Pringle from his new buddies down under 🙂
Wishing you all the best!
Cheers
~Nona
My ferret has been sick today. I believe it’s from overheating but after doing all I knew to do, he’s still acting weird. And now he’s been in and out of bed for a while trying to have a bowel movement and everytime he cannot, then his back hunches up and he acts like a dog trying to drag his butt on the ground. Then goes back to bed and does it again within the next 5 minutes. He’s been shivering like as if he was cold but a little more extreme. I’m not sure what’s wrong. He also won’t eat or drink anything now so I had to force him to drink water.
Savannah, I don’t know what is wrong with your boy but he *might* have a blockage and if that’s the case, you MUST get him to a ferret vet ASAP! Blockages can be lethal and if you don’t act quickly, he might die.
Get some electrolytes and put them in his water so that you can get them into his body. When my girl Snoopy swallowed that olive pit, the locum vet misdiagnosed her condition and said it was gastro 🙁 Fortunately he gave me electrolytes and I made sure I got them into her by gently syringing the water into her mouth. Do be very careful if you do syringe it into your boy’s mouth so that the water doesn’t go into his lungs!
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/blockages-in-ferrets.html
Do you have a good vet nearby? If not, please look at my vets’ page … hopefully you’ll find someone close to you.
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets.html
I hope it’ll turn out to be nothing serious but please do get him to a vet quickly. Time really is of the essence!
Wishing you and your boy all the best!
~Nona
Hello, I have 2 rescue ferrets, I’m not sure their age. My little girl, Lunatic has started acting strange. She’s eating, drinking normal and has normal stool, but, shes very sluggish. Moves around and acts coherent, but doesn’t play anymore or really explores. She used to be hyper and crazy, not shes just acring lazy. I’m worried that shes sick
Hi Sara
I truly do not know what might be wrong with your little baby! 🙁
Is it hot where you are? If it is, maybe Lunatic ( great name, BTW 😉 ) is feeling the heat and that’s why she appears sluggish. Ferrets don’t have sweat glands, as you might know, and so do get affected by heat and humidity in summer.
HOWEVER … she might be acting strange because she’s ill and so it’s important for you to take her to a ferret vet and have her checked out!
Do you have a good vet to take her to? If you haven’t, I’ve put the URL to my Vets pages so hopefully you’ll find someone nearby to take her to!
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets.html
If something worries you about either ferret, it’s really important to take that ferret to the vet! Ferrets are very stoic little critters and sometimes don’t show signs of being sick until they are VERY sick, and then they go downhill VERY QUICKLY! So I would urge you to take Lunatic to a ferret vet and then you’ll know if it’s something you should be worried about or not!
Hugs to your duo from their new friends down under 😀
Cheers
~Nona
My little ferret is 3 years old she has always been super active and full of energy. Today she hasn’t eaten anything she’s shaking and her back legs are giving out on her. She’s been laying in my lap for two hours now. I’m very worried about her.
Hi Katie
You really need to get your little girl to a ferret vet ASAP to be checked over!
I honestly don’t know what’s wrong with her … the back legs giving out *could* be a sign of insulinoma but a vet needs to see her to tell you exactly what is wrong with her.
This is my page about insulinoma – read it and see if your little one has any of the symptoms and if so, you have to watch out for the “insulinoma coma”!! If a ferret is in a coma and is left unattended to, that ferret will die ?
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/insulinoma-in-ferrets.html
If she has got insulinoma, she’ll need medication so again, please take her to your vet!
I hope there is nothing seriously wrong with your little girl as 3 seems awfully young to be diagnosed with insulinoma ?
Hugs to your ferret from her new buddies down under!
Cheers
~Nona
I have a three old male ferret he was fine a few days ago then all of a sudden i found him struggling to pee and his poop was minimal because I found he had quit eatting as well. I have been monitoring him and i has been a few days and he was peeing a bit now there is nothing coming out and I can see hes in alot of pain and discomfort. I called the emergency vet here in ny that handles exotics and they want $177 dollars just to walk through the door and the local vet has an exotic vet only two days a week and hes only there fridays and tuesdays. I got an appointment for this tuesday because its the soonest i could get him in at my price range but he hasnt peed in almost a week. now he can’t use his back legs and is shaking. I have been keeping him on a heating pad and giving him warm bathsss to try to ease him. I do’nt know what else I can do to keep him comfortable until his appointment.his tonguue gums and nose are stil pink and his eyes still clear, but I see him in so much discomfort. please help what can I do to help him??????
Hi Kelly
I would guess that perhaps your boy has a blockage and that’s why he’s not piddling and pooping properly. Of course it could be something else entirely so it is very important you take him to the vet to be checked out.
What I would suggest you get in the meantime is electrolytes to give him in his water as dehydration can be a problem if your boy isn’t drinking much. If you pinch the fur on his neck and it stays up (like a tent), then you’ll know he’s dehydrated ?
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/dehydration-in-ferrets.html
Also take a look at this article written by a ferret owner – if you can get your hands on pure pumpkin to give your boy, check and see if he’s passed any foreign objects if he manages to poop!
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/the-wonders-of-canned-pure-pumpkin.html
Also take a look at my pages about Blockages and see if your boy has the symptoms I listed …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/blockages-in-ferrets.html
It’s ESSENTIAL to make sure your boy is getting as much goodness into his little body as possible while he’s waiting to see the vet so please do make sure you get electrolytes into him and, if you can find the pure pumpkin, see if he’ll eat some of that.
If he’s not keen on eating his food, then think of making him a smoothie with NO LACTOSE milk and an egg yolk and if you have Ferretone, put a bit into the smoothie and mix it for him. Or if he doesn’t want the smoothie, try and get him to lick the Ferretone off your finger. Once he’s better then stop with the Ferretone as it contains malt syrup and too much *might* cause insulinoma later!
Of course, having said that it might be a blockage I could be way off mark. My 5-year old boy, Dash, started pooping greenish gassy-looking poop and I was convinced he had a blockage. I took him to my vet and the x-ray wasn’t conclusive so he had an ultrasound – it showed that he had a nasty cancerous mass (lymphosarcoma) which had wrapped itself around his gut ?
He only lasted 6 more weeks after that before I had to take him for his final visit to the vet ?
I hope you manage to keep your boy comfortable while waiting for the vet and that the suggestions I gave you will help! I also hope the vet will be able to fix him up and he carries on for many more years!
Wishing you the best of luck and sending your boy lots of healing vibes ❤️
~Nona
Hi, My female ferret just turned 3 and she was fine this morning. Then tonight she had a little bit of discolored and tar like poop. But what has me really concerned is the fact that she is very lathargic and doesn’t want to play. Would you recommend me taking her to the vet?
Yes, please do take her to the vet for a check-up! I suppose she could be having an off day but it would good to get the vet’s opinion as to why she’s acting like this.
Hopefully it’s not a sign of anything bad ❤️
Hugs to your little one from her new friends down under!
Cheers
~Nona
I have a female ferret that is about 3 1/2 months old, normally she is very hyper and playful and a bitter. But since i got home from work yesterday every time I let her out of the cage she goes to this one place and curls up on one of my blankets and just sleeps. She dosent look sick. I did change their food recently and noticed they arent eating as much. But am concerned something may be wrong.
Oh Bridgette – many apologies for taking so long to reply! Managed to catch the flu so have been feeling very sorry for myself these past few days ?
Is your ferret acting more like herself since you posted your comment? I hope so!
To be honest, I don’t know what could be wrong with her so would suggest if she’s still not herself, please take her to a ferret knowledgeable vet to be checked out. It could be that she’s just feeling off-colour because of a cold or stomach ache, or it could be something wrong with her. Only a vet will be able to put your mind at ease.
I hope there is nothing wrong with her and she’s back to her usual happy self by the time you read this! ❤️
Hugs to your babies from their new friends down under ?
Cheers
~Nona
We adopted a ferret from Petco. He seems to be very young. He was purchased previously then returned. The owners that returned him starved him, almost to death. We’ve had him for a few weeks. He eats a drinks normally but, He has pooped blood on one occasion. He is very sluggish, he drags himself around. He doesn’t play with toys and he doesnt play with our 3 other ferrets. He is still very skinny. I dont know what’s wrong with him. Petco has a free vet services for animals purchased from them
But they want me to go through a return process and I lose all my rights to my little boy.
Oh Abigail, I am so sorry to hear about your little man ?
I am very concerned about your boy pooping blood and only a vet would be able to tell you why. I totally understand why you don’t want to return him to Petco – I think he’d be put down if he were returned to them ?
Could you see your own vet to get checked out? I would be happy to give you a list of supplements to give him in a daily smoothie (and your other ferrets would love the smoothie too!) and I’m sure that with a good diet and the smoothie, plus lots of love from you guys (which I know you’re already giving him!), he’ll get to be the big strong boy he should be!
This is what I suggest you give him to get his strength back …
** 100-150ml NO LACTOSE milk
** 1 egg yolk (preferably free range if possible)
** 1 gel capsule of 4mg Astaxanthin – squeezed into the milk (get a thumb tack and put it through a small piece of cardboard, scotch tape the bottom so that you can press the capsule on the sharp bit of the tack!) Astaxanthin is a fantastic antioxidant and helps the immune system to get better. I know that because it helped me when I had a dreadful infection in my knee!
Put that in a jug and mix it well with an electric blender. Serve at room temperature. Please make sure you give him good quality supplements – I’ve found that iHerb.com is a great supplement supplier, good brands and good prices too! I also only use Hawaiian Astaxanthin (brand name – BioAstin) with my wolverines as I believe they are better than other brands!
Once your little guy has improved, you might want to think about giving that smoothie to all your babies on a daily basis! If you do, just increase the no lactose milk to about 200-250ml ?
Also think about getting your little man some Carnivore Care …
http://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/our-products/professional-line/carnivore-care/
Feed him that until you see he’s getting stronger. We can’t get it here in Oz so I haven’t tried it personally with my sick ferrets but I’ve heard only good reports about it.
I hope you’ll be able to take your newbie to the vet to be checked over and I also hope there’s nothing seriously wrong with the poor little man ?
Please don’t hesitate to get back to me if you need any further information or suggestions and I hope all goes well with your new boy and he enjoys a long and very happy life with you and your 3 musketeers!
Wishing you all the best ❤️
~Nona
I need help this morning when I got up I noticed that there was blood in the bathroom where my ferret sleeps and also in the place where she sleeps. Her name is Aria and 2 years old. I am beyond overwhelmed and don’t what I would do if I lose her. She is my best friend. PLEASE, I NEED HELP!!!
Bertha – I am not a vet so I honestly have no idea why there was blood in your bathroom. I’ve never had this happen to any of my ferrets so can’t even suggest what the problem might be 🙁
Have you checked her to make sure she didn’t just cut her paw or something and that is where the blood came from?
Please find a good ferret vet and take Aria to them to see what is wrong with her! Don’t forget that ferrets go downhill quite quickly so you need to take her ASAP. If you don’t have a ferret vet, perhaps there is one nearby – just check for one near to you here …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets.html
I hope it’s nothing serious 🙁
Hugs to Aria from her new friends down under!
~Nona
I had a ferret pass within 24 hours of showing warning signs : couldn’t walk/move back legs. Stopped eating but drank water. We took him to the vet and the doctor gave him fluids and an antibiotic but he disintegrated by the hour. He was so stiff i had to keep moving his arms and legs to circulate the blood but he could barely move and was swelling up. I held him until the end. He’s the first animal i ever loved and watched die right in front of me. I still wonder what it was. The doctor said he could’ve “gotten into something” I thought that was a sh*tty thing to say to me.
Jarrett – many condolences on your loss ?
Having had many ferrets in my life and having had them pass, I know how painful it must have been for you, especially having to watch your little guy die. The feeling of helpless is so intense ?
You sound like a great ferret owner so I hope you will fill that ferret-shaped hole in your heart with another little one. You aren’t replacing your first boy – he will always have a special place – but you’re just carrying on with your love for these special little critters!
Hugs ❤️
~Nona
I found my ferret laying on the bottom of her cage this morning. It is as if she has no strength and is wheezing. She can still drink when I give her water using a syringe. I have moved her to a room away from the other pets to let her relax and not get to cold. Calling around the area all of the vets offices are closed today or I am unable to contact anyone. What should I do to help her recover or at least not worsen before o can get her to a vet?
Wanted to follow up. I took my ferret (Slinky) to an emergency vet and after a few minutes was informed that she was is critical condition and even with surgery would have a very low likely hood of surviving. Shortly after we decided to have her put down.
Oh William, I am SO sorry to hear that news ?
Ferrets are so good at hiding their pain so unless something happens early on to alert an owner that something’s not right with their baby, it’s often too late by the time they see their ferret showing signs of illness ?
You sound like a great ferret owner so I hope you’ll be thinking of filling that empty ferret-shaped hole in your heart with another one!
Many condolences and hugs for your loss! There’s another star shining in the sky tonight ❤️
~Nona
Is it okay if my ferret’s tail sticks up all the time, not just when he’s doing his business?
Oh my goodness, Luna – I honestly don’t know how to answer that ?♂️
Have you checked his bottom to make sure nothing looks odd to cause him to do that?
I guess if you’re worried, it’d be good to take him to the vet to get checked out and put your mind at rest!
So sorry I couldn’t be of help but I haven’t experienced that with any of my guys or heard of that from other ferret owners so am really at a loss for answers ?
Hugs to your little guy from his new friends down under!
~Nona
Hello i was wondering if I could have some advise my babyboy is really suck and I don’t know what to do about it he won’t eat or drink all he wants to do is lay around and he will lick an icecube and that is it and he has lost wait so much and he is losing his fear and I don’t have the money to go to the vet for him
Kyee – I am very worried that your little guy might have a blockage. Look at this page with symptoms – see if they match your ferret.
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/blockages-in-ferrets.html
If your ferret DOES have a blockage (he might have chewed on some plastic or rubber and swallowed a piece, and that is blocking his gut), check his poop and see if its skinny/green then he HAS to go to the vet for an operation, or he WILL die ?
However if you think your ferret does NOT have a _full_ blockage then read this article …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/the-wonders-of-canned-pure-pumpkin.html
However I will tell you that even after 25 years I can still get ferret illness wrong! ? I had a ferret called Dash and he was fine one day then ill the next! I looked at his poop and saw it was green and thin, so I was sure he had a blockage. I took him to the vet and relayed my worries but after an xray, I was told it wasn’t a blockage but lymphosarcoma ?
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/lymphosarcoma-in-ferrets.html
But to improve your boy’s health, get some electrolytes for your ferret and put it in his water. At least that will give him some goodness. Also buy these two items and give it to it to him to get some strength into him…
https://www.oxbowanimalhealth.com/our-products/professional-line/carnivore-care/
http://www.provitalhealth.com/ferret-healthy-life/
I hope these will help your ferret to recover but if not, then you MUST take him to the vet as it could be something that the vet will be able to fix with medication!
Wishing you and your little guy all the best! ?
~Nona
My ferret is 5-6 months, she was very playful and curious and id have her out 5-6 hours a day however gradually its getting harder and harder to reach just the 4 hours free roam time because she just goes back to bed and sleeps. I keep switching up the room, give new toys, has a new cage but she doesnt ever come out for more then 15 minutes at a time when before it was 1-2 hours. I assumed at first she just liked the new enclosed bed as its warm but now I dont know if shes sick or depressed or if i should take her to the vet. Other then not getting up as much, she seems ok, isnt being sick and she does have her hyper moments still.
Hi Kayla
I’m sorry but I have no idea if anything is wrong with your little girl or not ?
It’d be best for you to take her to the vet for a check up. At least if the vet says she’s fine then you won’t worry any more!
Hugs to your little one from her new friends down under ❤
~Nona
There is something with my ferret. Two days ago she was so happy and playful but then from minute to minute she has started being so shy. Whenever I do fast movement or louder sound hides. What do you think?
Hi John
I’m sorry but I don’t know what to think! Perhaps something scared her and so that’s why her actions have changed?
I would cuddle her and reassure her, give her lots of hugs and kisses, and hopefully she’ll get back to normal! ?♀️
Have a very Merry Christmas, if you celebrate it, and hugs to your little girl from her new friends down under ❤
Cheers
~Nona
Hey my ferret keeps peeing on himself all the time he’s 5 and never has done this before
Oh Bano, that’s no good! ?
I honestly do not know why he’s started to do that. Have you noticed him being unable to piddle, then it comes suddenly?
Please take your little guy to a (ferret) vet and get him checked out as it might be something serious, and only a vet can help him ?
Hope there are no problems for your ferret and that he gets back to normal asap!
Hugs to your little guy from his new buddies down under ❤
Cheers
~Nona
Hi I have a blind male ferret and I’ve had him about 2 months and he really likes to give me kisses all over my face but today when he started licking me I noticed that his tongue isn’t very rough like it normally is and I’m concerned I don’t know if I should worry or not
Hi Dezzy
I’m so sorry but I have no idea about why your ferret’s tongue isn’t rough like it used to be ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If you’re worried then I would strongly suggest you take him to a (ferret) vet to get checked over. At least then if the vet says your boy is in good health, you’ll not worry ?
Hugs to your little man from his new buddies down under ❤
Cheers
~Nona
Hi! My ferret, Beans, got kennel cough from the dog. He is breathing, eating, and drinking normally, but the cough is pretty rough. For one he shares a cage with another ferret. I’m worried she is going to get it now too. I called the vet and they said it to bring him in if he gets worse or the cough doesnt go away after a couple days. I’m wondering if I could give him a steam. It helped with the dog, where I would just run the shower on hot for 10ish minutes. I know essential oils are out of the question, which also helped with the dog. But can a 10 minute a day steam help my little guy clear the stuff out of his lungs? Thank you for your help!
Hi Michelle
So sorry to hear that Beans caught kennel cough – I haven’t heard about that before ? Even after 26 years of ferret ownership I still am learning new things ?
I *think* that it would be fine to him to have steam treatment but keep an eye on him so that he doesn’t get too hot and distressed as they can’t sweat. It might be a good idea for you to speak to your vet again and make sure that it would be okay for Beans to have it. I’ve never been asked that, nor have I had a ferret with a bad cough so cannot speak from experience ?
I hope that’s been of some help!
Hugs to Beans from his new friends down under and I hope he gets better soon ❤
Cheers
~Nona
Hi need help my male ferret dusty is 5 not moving much lost weight. And he lethargic. He still eats drinks and potty fine what should I do cant drive to vet I dont drive
Serena – get a cab or get an Uber and GET YOUR FERRET TO THE VET A.S.A.P!!!
Something is very wrong with him and you should have taken him to the vet when you first noticed him losing weight.
Please get to the vet QUICKLY or you might lose him!
Hi, about 2 1/2 hours ago my ferret started throwing up. She was crying/squeaking and would vomit in one corner, then run and hide in another corner to throw up. The vomit looked like wet chewed up food with some bile. As I was trying to look up a 24/7 emergency vet (our vet’s office was already closed as this was around 10:30pm), she stopped throwing up and was acting perfectly fine. She drank water on her own, she started to play and explore like her usual self. She is not acting lethargic, and she didn’t want to go to sleep when I put her in her cage so I could check for anything she may have chewed on/ate (I could find nothing and I only had her out to play in one room). I am calling her vet first thing in the morning. She has not thrown up again. She pooped a normal poop about an hour ago. Any idea why she may have thrown up? She was eating and playing just before she threw up.
Hi Amanda
I really am not sure why your little girl was acting like she did but as a guess, I think that maybe she ate something she shouldn’t have and she managed to dislodge it when she threw up at the last time!
Certainly if it were a blockage, she wouldn’t be eating or drinking normally ?♀️
I hope your vet can help to figure out what the problem was and I hope she’s fully back to normal ?
Hugs to your little girl from her new buddies down under ??
Stay well and stay healthy!
Cheers
~Nona
I have two ferrets. One of them passed yesterday. My other one keeps laying flat on the floor and seems a bit disinterested. I don’t know what caused my other ferret to pass but I’m worried about my other one. I can’t tell if he is just sad or if there is something wrong. I haven’t noticed any physical changes to him but he isn’t as active.
Hi Molly
Some ferrets definitely mourn the loss of their playmate and I think your little man is feeling the loss quite deeply ?
When I had the last two girls from my group of 6 they were terribly close and when it was time for Mojo to go to her final appointment with the vet, Kimiko just gave up. She had lymphoma and was improving with the supplement I was giving her so I thought she’d be with me for several more months but no. When she realised Mojo wasn’t coming home from the vet, she just decided she didn’t want to be around any more.
She refused to eat her smoothie, which had the supplements in them. When I tried to syringe feed her, she just kept her teeth clamped tightly together and that was that! As she grew weaker, I didn’t want her to die from starvation so had to take her to her final visit with the vet less than 2 weeks after Mojo’s visit.
It broke my heart and I was in so much pain that I thought they would be the last ferrets I would have. However a few weeks of me moping around the house was enough for my husband so he organised to get two rescued brothers to join our family ?
Keep an eye on your little guy and make sure there’s nothing there other than a broken heart!
I don’t know if it would perk him up if you got another ferret to keep him company. Sometimes ferrets welcome newbies with open arms, other times they hate the newcomer and just attack the poor thing. That’s something you’d have to consider carefully!
Hugs to your lonely fellow from his two fuzz buddies down under ❤️
Best wishes
~Nona
I just got a 2 month old ferret yesterday, and he sneezes multiple times in a row (this started 30 minutes after I got him), and doesn’t play much. Does he have a cold?
It’s really hard for me to say that your ferret might have a cold, Rachel! Since ferrets are so small and can go under furniture, etc, he might be sneezing because dust got up his nose, and he might not be playing much as he’s in a new home and needs to get aclimitised to his new surroundings ?♀️
I would recommend you take him to a ferret vet to be checked over if you’re worried he might not be well!
Cheers
~Nona
I don’t know very much about ferrets, as this is my first, so this might seem silly or insignificant. When I got her out today, I put her on the ground and she was scampering backwards away from me. Her back was arched a lot and she kept falling over backwards. She also tried to reach her back and hind legs for something. I was standing, so maybe my height scared her, but she also was crawling around under my bed today, which is quite dirty. I’m worried she got bit by something or has something wrong with her. I also have three dogs that sniff her a lot, in case that information is important. Please help! She’s so sweet and I just want to keep her safe/healthy.
Hi Dinah
To be honest, I’m not sure what could be wrong with your little one ?
Is she still acting strange in your opinion, or is she okay now?
The thing is that when ferrets want to do their weasel wardance, they often go backwards with an arched back and can fall over if they are being silly. However when you said she was trying to reach her back and hind legs, then maybe something did bite her when she was under your bed ?♀️
I can only urge you to take her to a ferret vet if you’re worried to get her checked out properly!
Hope your litte girl is back to normal now and it was only a little “blip” ?
Hugs to your little one from her new fuzzbuddies down under ❤
Cheers
~Nona
I have a 1 year old female albino ferret who has lived with me for at least 9 months.
Her personality changed all of a sudden. Before: nippy, seem to rarely sleep, always looks for attention, not a cuddler.
Now within the past day and a half: rarely up and moving, will fall asleep in my arms, and ealier it was just her back legs and now it’s also her front legs that shake while she’s going to sleep.
I took her to the vet today and they just treated her for ear mites with a shot and ear drops.
Is it really just ear mites, can they really effect her like this?
Hi Tiffany
Has your little one improved after her visit to the vet or is she the same?
I’m not aware of mites causing the problems which you describe but then I’m not a vet ?
Have you seen my page about mites? It might be worth looking up articles to see if any symptoms described fit your girl.
If you aren’t happy with the treatment then I can only suggest you take her to a vet who is familiar with ferrets to see what they might say.
I’m afraid I haven’t updated all my vets pages but I’d imagine most would be the same from 5 years ago ?♀️
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/ferret-vets.html
Sorry I can’t be of more help and I hope your little one will have improved after her treatment!
Hugs to your girl from her new furry friends from down under ❤
Cheers
~Nona
My ferret is heaving I guess you could say. She started eating her food (that she eats all the time) she’s around 5 months so i’m still wetting the pellets to make it soft but after a bite she started making these noises and dry heaving i guess, her poop is normal and she ran around the house but is still making this weird noise. I mushed her food more almost like a slop and she ate it and she drank but still making the noise. What could this be??
One of my ferrets seems to be more tired at the moment wondering if it has to do with this bad rainy weather been having lately
Sophie, if you’re worried about your baby then I would strongly suggest you take it to the vet for a check up! That way you’ll know for sure if it’s the weather or her health that is making her more tired these days ?
Hope it turns out to be the weather!!
Hugs to your babies from their new buddies down under ❤
Cheers
~Nona
Oh Ariana, I have no idea why your little girl is dry heaving ?♀️
I would suggest you take her to the vet and see what they think. At least then you’ll know what’s up with her.
Wish I could give you some suggestions or ideas but I really have no clue what is causing her to be like that – sorry!
Hugs to your girl from her new buddies down under ❤
Cheers
~Nona
I have a ferret I rescued over a year ago. When we rescued him he was skin and bones almost starved to death. Unsure of age the person said “maybe 3” at that time so IF correct then he would be about 4.5 ish years old. He came with a brother who was a healthy weight so i think they werent fed regularly and he would eat all the food when they got fed and pushed him away from it. he is protective of food and sleeps by the food dish. we got him to a healthy weight but he never had energy or good balance. now its getting worse. all blood work is good, scans were good no spinal cord damage or skeletal issues that she could see when we first got him and same thing last check up 6 months ago. but he just crawls on his belly never stands up and falls over even when laying down. he has a good appetite, eats several small meals a day and is a good weight. drinks water. urine and poop looks perfect (although he cant squat so he just rolls on his side and does his business which ends up with getting urine on his belly about half the time). he did have IBS when he first got up to a good weight and they gave him meds and he got better and his poops have been normal ever since and that was over a year ago. i am taking him back to the vet because now he shakes off and on and his eyes look glazed and kind of wide open. after he drinks a bunch of water he starts drooling and foaming at the mouth like maybe the water is having a hard time getting down. the soonest they can see him is in 8 days and i took that appt and they said if its an emergency i can take him in sooner and pay extra which im ok with. i saw a ferret on the internet who was rescued and acted just like him but with a tad more energy but same balance issues and seizures and they gave him steroids and antibiotics just to be safe because they suspected an infection of some kind and he got better so i am going to ask about trying SOMETHING anything. any ideas though?
Hi Stefanie
I must commend you for all you are doing to keep your babies well!
Reading your comment about how your little guy is now, I would have said he’s suffering from insulinoma. However if he had insulinoma the blood work would have shown that. ?♀️
However, I would appreciate you reading my page about the disease and seeing if there is anything there which might be what your boy has?
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/insulinoma-in-ferrets.html
I give my guys a daily smoothie which consists of …
250ml NO LACTOSE milk (that amount was for 2 ferrets)
1 egg yolk (I use free range eggs)
1 full capsule of Astaxathin (an axioxidant)
This pdf tells you the benefits of Astaxanthin for pets …
https://www.naturalnews.com/Files/Astaxanthin.pdf
Scroll down to page 118 “Love your Pet? Give it Natural Astaxanthin” and read that chapter.
If you think it’d help then I would strongly suggest you buy the BioAstin Hawaiian brand as I’ve found that to be the best to give my ferrets.
I really hope you find something which will help your ferret! It always is so hard to find what will help them and keep them well!
Hugs to your rescues from their new fuzzy friend down under ❤
Wishing you all the best getting to why your fellah isn’t well!
Cheers
~Nona
My ferret is being sick big chunks of a rubber snakehead had digested around 3-4 days ago since and has lost weight so I can feel his ribs and their is no veterany clinic open near me what should I do please get back to me asap
Keara – try and find a can of pure pumpkin to feed him as per these instructions …
https://www.all-about-ferrets.com/the-wonders-of-canned-pure-pumpkin.html
There are also other ideas in the comments section so please read everything there as you might not be able to get the pure pumpkin!
Also get some electrolytes to put into his water, so that will help to make sure he doesn’t dehydrate until you get to a vet. Is there no emergency vet nearby?
I hope you manage to get him to throw up all the rubber bits but please take him to get checked out by a vet asap as if there are some bits still inside his stomach, it could cause many problems!
Big hugs to your little guy and wishing you good luck ❤
~Nona
Can anyone tell me what it means when it has lots of energy seems lethargic only eats and drinks still normally but won’t get up and play anymore go to the bathroom but has a little hard time going does it only twice a day going to the bathroom
I think you should take your ferret to the vet as it might have an obstruction which is causing the problem.
I honestly can’t imagine what might be the problem with your ferret, sorry!
Cheers
~Nona
Our male ferret is showing small red spots on his stomach. Three weeks ago, we slowly started to integrate him with our female; however, they’ve been playing together for a more extended period lately. (have been in the same house for the past eight months.) They are in separate cages, and our girl doesn’t have a mark on her… wondering what it could be?
Hi Jessie
I’m so sorry but I haven’t got a clue as to what is causing those spots on your boy’s stomach ?
If you’re worried please take him to a (ferret) vet and see what he thinks ?♀️
Cheers
~Nona
Can anyone help me with figuring out what might be wrong with my little girl Rose she’s a ferret we’ve had her for close to 2 years we got her at Petco in Holyoke adoption. She’s never had any issues. Until about maybe it’s about been two weeks now if you count today I noticed that she whenever we give her her food she tends to Barrymore that rather than eat it so I decided to change the sequence of how much she gets so rather than giving her food every day we give it to her three times a week. She gets 3/4 a cup. The measuring cup is one of those large glass ones like what you use for baking or cooking. She was doing fine until about maybe almost 24 to 48 hours ago, now she seems to be showing lack of energy/lethargia she doesn’t seem to want to eat much less drink. Whether we are holding her or she’s in her cage all she’s doing is sleeping. When I open her cage to get her she pulls away in the sense of as if she is trying to run from our I have already attempted to call our vet to explain and ask if we should bring her in but they have no availability until a few months from now and recommend that we take her to the emergency that which is too far away and we have no way to get to where they want us to take her if things do not clear up with whatever is happening to her and it’s hard enough as it is just to get her to the vet that she has to see already. I’m really hoping someone can give some clue or advice as to what may be causing what’s happening to she does seem to be shedding but I think that’s just a normal occurrence I don’t think that’s part of the issue. Also she has been sneezing off and on a little bit. But she does that pretty frequently off and on over the months and weeks I think as we’ve come to bypass that she may have an allergy to dust or something.
Any words would help.