Ancient Arts Holistic Veterinary Services

Darla Rewers, DVM

110 N. 36th St. Seattle, WA 98103 phone: (206) 547-1025

Ferret wellness

(0)
Wednesday, February 02, 2011

            Ferrets are rascally little critters, who can be very entertaining and quite mischievous.  They will often hide items of yours, such as keys or toys that they may hole up in the underside of a mattress.  They also like to eat foamy spongy things, which can create intestinal blockages.  They are quite social and do best in groups so that they can entertain each other.  Even still, the more the ferrets, the more the (fun) mayhem, which will require ferret-proofing your home for their safety and your sanity.

            Ferrets are strict carnivores and need a very high protein diet.  Due to the genetics of domesticated ferrets, cancers are quite common and almost a certainty at some point in life.  Adrenal tumors, insulinomas, and lymphoma are the most common.  Adrenal tumors tend to cause symmetrical hair loss and sometimes vulvar enlargement.  Lymphoma tends to lead to weight loss and possibly diarrhea.  Insulinomas make it very difficult for ferrets to maintain normal blood sugar levels, and can go into hypoglycemic naps, seizures, or die.

© 2013 altMD, LLC. All rights reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of altMD's terms of service and privacy policy. The material on this site is for informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment provided by a qualified health care provider.