ferret sickness?

Question

I have a ferret who is 4 years old. It seems like her hair is thining && it doesn't seem to be like she is losing chucks of hair. It's just like it is happening gradually. I just wanted to know ..if it is normal. I dont want her being sick

Answer 1

there are several reasons a ferret that young can lose hair, the best thing you can do is take it for a vet check, I have a 2 year old ferret that had the same thing, no hair on her tail, and patches of fur just thinning like an older man's head. Turns out she has adrenal gland disorder. If a ferret has it, they can still be happy and healthy, just with certain lifestyle alterations. Your vet would be the best person to ask.

Answer 2

this is normal i have 2 ferrets and tehy around that old and they slow lose hair

Answer 3

Feeding the Sick Ferret
If a ferret does not eat enough or loses too much weight, it is a good indication that the ferret is sick, and should be taken to a veterinarian. Sick ferrets and those recovering from an illness or surgery will often need to have their diet supplemented. Often hand-feeding or, in extreme cases, force feeding may be necessary. This should not be undertaken without the advice of a veterinarian. Many recipes are available for feeding sick ferrets. They are informally known as "duck soup". A few recipes follow:

Baby Food:

An all-meat baby food such as Gerbers Chicken can by itself make a good supplement. Reading the ingredients and checking with a veterinarian is essential however because many baby foods have vegetable ingredients which are inappropriate and some contain onions which are known to be toxic to dogs and cats.[4]
Easy Soup:

Ferret kibble soaked in chicken broth or water
Gerbers Chicken baby food
Ferretone, Ferretvite or a similar vitamin supplement
Blend it all up and serve warm.
Tasty, Good Soup:

Whole boiled chicken ( pull the meat and some fat off.) Reserve the boiled broth for the next step.
Put just a little bit of the meat and fat into a blender and pour some broth into it and puree it until soup and *do it to all of the meat until all is blended and soupy. An easy way to freeze the soup is pour into icetray and *when time to serve a cube out and pop in the microwave. Soup should be served warm.
Care
Pet female ferrets should be spayed if they are not going to be bred. Ferrets go into extended heat and an unbred ferret without medical intervention can die of aplastic anemia.

Ferrets need their nails clipped and ears cleaned on a regular basis. Regular nail clippers will work, and most pet stores supply ferret specific ear cleaning solution. Most ferrets also shed twice a year, in the spring and fall; during this time, it is a good idea to brush them regularly and give them a laxative or petroleum jelly to help any ingested fur pass more easily through the digestive tract.

Frequent bathing is not necessary. Most sources recommend bathing no more frequently than once every 6 months, and many owners don't bathe their ferrets at all unless something needs to be washed off. Over-frequent bathing can actually increase a ferret's natural smell, as its skin works overtime to replace the oils lost in the bath.

It is a misconception that ferrets smell bad. The bad smell usually attributed to ferrets comes from their bedding and litter box. Bedding should be washed or changed out regularly, and a ferret's litter box should be cleaned every day, or at least every other day. Depending on the cage, it is a good idea to take it apart and hose it down every once in a while, to remove material stuck in crevices.

It is recommended that ferrets are taken to a veterinarian for a yearly checkup. Ferrets often hide symptoms of illness very well, perhaps from an instinct to not appear weak to predators in the wild. Any out-of-the-ordinary behavior is good cause for a consultation. Ferrets have high metabolisms and cancers can progress at an alarmingly fast rate. Early detection is critical.
Ferret biology and health concerns
Like many other carnivores, ferrets have scent sacs near their anuses. Secretions from these are used in scent marking. It has been shown that ferrets can identify whether such a mark was left by a male or a female ferret, without recognizing the individual.[citation needed] Like a skunk, a ferret can release this scent when startled or scared, but the smell dissipates rapidly. Most pet ferrets in the US are sold with these anal sacs removed, although this does not affect a ferret's natural musky scent. To eliminate this scent entirely neutering male ferrets and spaying female ones is required, since it is through this odor that female and male ferrets find each other during the mating season.

In the UK it is illegal to remove a ferret's anal sacs without compelling medical reason, as it's otherwise considered to be an unnecessary mutilation.

Many domestic ferrets are known to suffer from several distinct health problems. Among the most common are cancers affecting the adrenal glands, pancreas, and lymphatic system. Certain breeds may also have a genetic defect known as Waardenburg syndrome .

Most ferrets will ultimately contract a life-threatening illness.[citation needed] It is uncommon for the domestic ferret to die from old age. Early detection and treatment of illnesses is the key to ensuring that ferrets live long and fun-filled lives.


[edit] Adrenal disease
Adrenal disease, a growth of the adrenal glands that can be either hyperplasia or cancer, is most often diagnosed by symptoms like unusual hair loss, increased aggression, and (in the case of females) an enlarged vulva. Even if the growth is benign, it can still cause a hormonal imbalance which can have devastating effects on the ferret's health.

Treatment options include surgery to excise the affected glands, melatonin implants, steroids and/or hormone therapy. The cause of adrenal disease is unknown, but speculated triggers include unnatural light cycles, diets based around processed ferret foods, and the premature desexing of pet-store ferrets. Others have suggested that the problem is hereditary.[citation needed]

Adrenal disease is usually detected during the spring or fall. This is because adrenal disease affects the hormones that make their fur grow, so when ferrets with adrenal disease shed their winter coat they simply don't grow it back because of the disease. The hair loss pattern is very specific for adrenal disease: It begins at the base of the tail and then continues up the ferret's back.


[edit] Insulinoma
Ferrets are also known to suffer from insulinoma, a cancer of the pancreas. The growth of cancerous nodules on the lobes of the pancreas sometimes, but not always, leads to an increase in the production of insulin, which regulates the rate at which the ferret's body metabolizes blood glucose. Too much insulin will cause blood sugar to drop, resulting in lethargy, seizures, and ultimately death. Symptoms of insulinoma include episodes of lethargy, drooling, pawing and/or foaming at the mouth, staring "blankly" into space, and seizures.

Like adrenal cancer, the exact cause of insulinoma is unknown. It is speculated that the diets of domestic ferrets are too far removed from the natural diets of their polecat ancestors, and include too much sugar or simple carbohydrates.

Treatment for insulinoma may include surgical excision of the cancerous lobes, pharmaceutical treatment with steroids that suppress the production of insulin, supplemental changes in diet (most often poultry-based baby food), or a combination thereof. Unfortunately, the growth of the tumors cannot be completely stopped, and the ferret will eventually suffer a reoccurrence of symptoms.


[edit] Lymphoma
Lymphoma/lymphosarcoma is the most common malignancy in ferrets. Ferret lymphosarcoma occurs in two forms -- juvenile lymphosarcoma, a fast-growing type that affects ferrets younger than two years, and adult lymphosarcoma, a slower growing form that affects ferrets four to seven years old.

In juvenile ferret lymphosarcoma, large, immature lymphocytes (lymphoblasts) rapidly invade the thymus and/or the organs of the abdominal cavity, particularly the liver and spleen. In adult ferret lymphosarcoma, the lymph nodes in the limbs and abdominal cavity become swollen early on due to invasion by small, mature lymphocytes. Invasion of organs, such as the liver, kidney, lungs, and spleen, occurs later on, and the disease may be far advanced before symptoms are noticeable.

As in humans, ferret lymphosarcoma can be treated surgically, with radiation therapy, chemotherapy or a combination thereof. The long-term prognosis is rarely bright, however, and this treatment is intended to improve quality of life with the disease.


[edit] Viral diseases
ECE (epizootic catarrhal enteritis), is a viral disease that first appeared in the northeastern US in 1994, is an inflammation of the mucous membranes in the intestine. In ferrets, the disease manifests itself as severe diarrhea (often of a bright green color), loss of appetite, and severe weight loss. The virus can be passed via fluids and indirectly between humans. Although it was often fatal when first discovered, ECE is less of a threat nowadays with the right supportive care.

ADV, the Aleutian disease virus, is a parvovirus originally found among mink in the Aleutian islands in the early 20th century. In ferrets, the virus affects the immune system (causing it to produce non-neutralizing antibodies) and many internal organs, particularly the kidneys. There is no cure or vaccine for the disease, and ferrets may carry the virus for months or years without any external symptoms. As a result, many ferret organizations and shelters recommend that owners test their pets for the virus regularly, separating them from other ferrets if they test positive.

Canine distemper is an extremely contagious virus that is almost always fatal. Being strict indoor pets does not necessarily protect ferrets as owners may bring the virus home on their clothes or their shoes. It is recommended that ferrets receive an annual vaccination. While this is vital to protect a ferret's health, it is not without controversy, and can cause anaphylactic shock. Some veterinarians prefer to pre-treat ferrets with injectable benadryl. In the United States there are currently two vaccines that can be used on ferrets, only one of which is USDA approved. In other countries of the world where there are no vaccines licensed for use on ferrets, dog canine distemper vaccines are commonly administered instead.