ferret health?

Question

I am disheartened by the statistics. I have a female marshall ferret.She just turned four on January 25th, 2007. I give shelby a yearly dose of lupron to prevent adrenal problems.Within a week of getting it, Shelby has deteriorated. I must feed her a solution of AD(nutritional meal) with a syringe to the back of her throat.She drinks water, but she still looks dehydrated so I must also use the syringe. We will see our closest and most competent vet (two and a half hours away)on Monday.Her vulva is not swollen but her appetite is gone, her stomach is concave, she isn't right.I already have a male ferret, Scud, that had a successful adrenal surgery with minor hurdles(prostate). I give him lupron every month. It is costly. I want to know if it is true about marshalls? I refuse to think I am losing her as she looks and acts fine.How many others have lost their babies and at what age? I don't want to know but I feel I have to.And, how do you do it?I am so lost at the thought.It isn't time.

Answer 1

. I have been owned by 11 ferrets and have gone through the anguish of losing 5 of them to the adrenal disease.If you would like to pursue this at length simply click on my profile and start with the email from there. from one ferret lover to another good luck

Answer 2

I live in Manchester in the UK. I have 2 ferrets who I love to the moon and back. I feel I am lucky because in the UK ferrets aren't too popular as a pet and so we don't have large breeders like Marshalls, I have heard lots of bad things about Marshalls as a breeder and am glad that we get our ferrets from very small individual breeders (mine were from a rescue shelter) Unfortunately I can't comment on the statistics of Marshall ferrets but all I can say is that as you know ferrets are prone to these awful diseases, it seems so unfair that such a loveable, funny, happy creature with such a zest for life and all the great things about it should be prone to suffer in such a tragic way.
I can't imagine my life without my babies dooking, dancing and making me laugh every day and the thought of them both having to suffer through no fault of their own breaks my heart.
You sound like a great ferret parent and all you can do is take comfort in the fact that you love your little fuzz butts and will give them the very best love and care that you can until their time comes to walk the rainbow line
If you do think that Marshalls are in some way to blame then maybe you could look into that and if you get ferrets in the future, get them from small private breeders.
I will be thinking about you and Shelby and hoping her quality of life stays good. Love and weasil kisses xx

Answer 3

I lost mine at about 6 She had Splenomegaly. Then about a year later went into Adrenal Failure. It took me 3 years But I Just got a new Kit. (the first was a Marshall) the new Kit is form Triple F Farms.

Answer 4

I don't know what to say concidering I've never had a ferret before, even though I know people that do. The only thing I can say is that marshalls aren't a bad thing. it's just a breeder. I work at a pet store and we get ours from marshals. I know Petco carries marshals too. It's just ferrets. They are prone to tumors and such.

Answer 5

I have 4 ferrets. 3 are from Marshall, one I rescued from a woman whose daughter was going away to college and the mom didn't want to be responsible for her daughter's pet. All 4 of my ferrets are healthy, however, the 3 that I know are definately from Marshall are under three years of age.

From one ferret parent to another, I am so sorry you and your sweet fuzzy have to go thru this. :-(

Answer 6

I see so many now a days with adrenal disease its scary. I cant say its because they are Marshalls, but you have to admit its highly suspicous. I would say that at least 60% of ferrrets that we see now at our ER clinic die of either adrenal tumors or insulinomas. Its terrible to watch what the families go through, especially since most are not as well educated as you are and the disease appears so "sudden" to them. My prayers are with your little girl.