Common Illnesses

Ferrets should be checked on a daily basis for signs of illness. Look for abnormal behaviour, discharges and lack of appetite. It is up to each individual owner as to whether their ferrets are vaccinated for distemper or not. However regular visits to the vet will ensure your furry friend is fit and healthy.

Hairballs & Blockages

Ferrets like to chew and can get blockages from almost anything, pieces of rubber, plastic, dried fruit, litter or bedding. They can also get hairballs from cleaning themselves and this is more of a risk when they are shedding because there is so much loose hair. Coughing, loss of appetite, apparent difficulty in passing faeces or thin to no faeces, pawing at the mouth, and vomiting are all indications of a blockage. Laxatives are good to use to help pass anything that doesn’t belong inside your ferret. However if the object is too large, it will not pass. At this point you will need to see your vet immediately for surgery to remove the foreign object.

The Flu

Just like humans, ferrets are also susceptible to the flu. However ferrets have to “ride out” these illnesses as there are no cures available. Some of the symptoms of a cold or the flu in a ferret include sneezing, coughing, runny nose and eyes, a fever, lethargy, wheezing, diarrhoea, and loss of appetite. If your ferret is suffering from flu offer supportive care and make sure your ferret drinks plenty of fluid and that they do not stop eating or passing faeces. Track the number of days your ferret is sick and if the symptoms persist for longer than 5 - 7 days or if your ferret stops eating, drinking or passing faeces, take your ferret to a vet immediately.

Parasites

Ear mites, ticks, fleas and worms are commonly found in ferrets and need to be treated straight away. Ear mites are a nuisance and microscopic, and when in a ferret’s ears, they appear as a dark reddish-brown/black discharge. Simple cleaning will not get rid of ear mites your vet will need to recommend you an effective product. Fleas are easy to catch and difficult to get rid of. Once they find a host to provide their nourishment, they take up residence in your ferret’s bedding, the carpet, your furniture, and any other place where they can hide and still have access to their food supply, you and your pets. A ferret with fleas may itch more than normal. If you find fleas on your ferret, it is important to get them taken care of quickly. An untreated flea infestation can cause your ferret to become anaemic and may even be fatal. It is important not to use flea products that are labelled for other animals. Your best bet is to contact your veterinarian and get flea medication from him. Some of the new flea medicines on the market take only one drop per application and will kill all fleas and eggs present on the ferret. You must also clean the cage and bedding, as well as the rest of your house. Usually the complete sanitization of the cage and vacuum of the rest of the carpets and furniture will adequately deal with the problem. Ticks can carry Lyme Disease so it is important to remove the tick as quickly as possible. Ticks are difficult to find on your ferret, but easy to remove if done properly.

Grasp the tick as close to the ferret’s skin as possible with a pair of tweezers. Hold the tick firmly with the tweezers and gently pull the tick from the skin being careful to remove all of the mouth parts. Ringworm is caused not by a worm as the name implies but rather by a fungus. This fungus causes almost perfectly round patches of flaky or oozing skin to occur. Other symptoms include alopecia (hair-loss), itching and thickened, red, crusty skin.The only positive way to identify if a skin irritation is ringworm is with a culture done by your vet of the effected skin and hair in the area. This fungus is highly contagious not just to your other ferrets but to other animals in your house and to you and your family, although the most susceptible include the young, old, and the ill. This condition is treatable with topical medications, shampoos and sometimes an oral medication. The only way to be really rid of the fungus and its spores is to follow the vet’s instructions exactly and to be sure to completely disinfect the entire area that may have been contaminated. if you are unsure please consult your vet for the best form of advice and treatment.