Rucus Replies : health

Weight Loss

Hair Loss

Allergies

Anal Glands

Hiccups

Tarry Stools

Weak Legs

Blue Skin

Fur Balls

Chronic Snuffles

Colds & Flu

Grey Fur Coat







Weight Loss



Dear Rucus,


I'm worried because "Samba" used to be a BIG boofy boy but he has now lost quite a bit of weight. He seems fine otherwise. Could it just be the time of year?

Love from "Samba's" Family.



Dear "Samba's" family,


Yes! At this time of year (summer), many ferrets lose the fat which they had stored up to get them through the winter. In fact, whichever part of the brain or endocrine system is responsible for the fat storage, realises after two or three years that there are not going to be food shortages or severe weather conditions each winter. You will notice then that your ferret will not put on as much winter fat or grow such a thick coat as he used to when he was younger.



Weight loss can also be attributed to disease, but as long as your ferret shows no other changes, and given the time of the year, don't worry.



Ferrets are also like people in that some tend to be fatter and others slimmer despite eating the same diet.



Love & Slender Dooks from Rucus.






Hair Loss



Dear Rucus,

My ferret, Pete, has lost most of the hair from his tail. He seems fine otherwise. What should I do?

Regards from Gerry.



Dear Gerry,


Nothing. As long as he is well and the skin on his tail is normal, he will, no doubt, grow the hair back as soon as he can. I have heard of quite a few ferrets with bald tails this year. Last summer, although not extremely hot, was very long and it seems that some ferrets got too hot too often and responded by losing their tail hair. If Pete is overly self-conscious about his hair loss, you may consider Advanced Hair Studio, yeah-yeah.


Dooks and a fizzed up tail, from Rucus.





Allergies



Dear Rucus,


My ferret is always sneezing. Can ferrets have hayfever?

Signed: Andrew.



Dear Andrew,


Too right! We ferrets have really short legs so our noses are very close to the ground. We just love exploring every nook and cranny no matter how much dust there is nor how many dust mites. Not forgetting all the tickly stuff in the Easterly winds or the pollen from the wattle trees.

My Mum lets us all play with a plastic bag when she has just put the shopping away and Jack and I are always the first ones in. If the bag has had a box of soap powder in it, Jack sneezes himself backwards all the way to the dining room wall and then runs back into the bag for more "nose jobs". I don't sneeze at all.

As long as your ferret is otherwise healthy, is eating and pooing OK and has no discharge from the eyes or nose, I wouldn't worry too much.

Achoos from Jack and Dooks from Rucus.





Anal Glands



Dear Rucus,


My 2 year old sterilised male ferret keeps releasing a terrible odour. He's not hurt or upset when it happens, and once it happened when he was fast asleep. What is it and how can I make it stop?

Signed: Stinky's Mum.



Dear Stinky's Mum,


This sounds like a blocked anal gland to me. Ferrets are related to skunks and, like a skunk, they have special glands at their anal opening which can be released as a form of defense when they are in danger. Unlike a skunk however, a ferret's anal glands produce a very bad smell that does not cling, but wafts away in the breeze. Sometimes these glands become blocked so the ferret releases "overflow poofs" from time to time.

My friend Flavia had this happen but it cleared up by itself after a week. When my friend Munchkin started doing it though, it wouldn't stop so his Dad took him to the Vet. The Vet showed him where to squeeze to unblock the glands and told him to go home to do it. Unfortunately, he didn't tell him to do it outside so Munchkin's Dad did it in the medical clinic where he worked and the smell rendered the whole place uninhabitable for hours! This is why some Vets won't express a ferret's anal glands inside the surgery, especially if their waiting room is full.

Sometimes the gland can become infected too, so the ferret needs a course of antibiotics to solve the problem or, if the glands are chronically impacted or infected, surgical removal may be required as a last resort.

Overseas ferrets routinely have their anal glands removed when they are sterilised. This is totally unnecessary surgery and can lead to anal prolapse, besides taking from the ferret an important defense mechanism.



My advice is to take your ferret to the Vet if the problem does not clear up after a week or so, sooner if the ferret has any other symptoms or seems to be in distress.

Poofs and Dooks from Rucus.






Hiccups



Dear Rucus,


My ferret always seems to get the hiccups. Is this normal in ferrets? Does this cause him much discomfort and is there any way I can help him over them?

From Guy.



Dear Guy,


The most disgusting sight I ever saw was when my best friend, Cru, drank about a teaspoon of wine from a glass that my Mum CARELESSLY left on the coffee table while she answered the 'phone. He got the hiccups big time! He tried to get on the settee and kept falling on his back, then he slept for a long time and when he woke up he didn't want to taste wine ever again. I guess that your ferret doesn't have a drinking problem though.

Hiccups are caused by a muscle spasm of the diaphragm. It's like a nervous tic, really, and is not harmful at all. Mostly, very young ferrets get them after eating dinner too quickly, but older ferrets can get them too. Unless your ferret is obviously upset by them, I wouldn't worry about it. If it does distress your ferret, however, it may be helpful if you can find a cause. Does it happen after a big meal or vigorous play? You may think about giving your ferret his dinner in smaller amounts more frequently, or curbing really excited playtimes too soon after a meal. And, whatever you do, don't let your ferret loose in your wine cellar!

Dooks from Rucus.







Tarry Stools



Dear Rucus,


My Mum reads lots of books about ferrets and she is really worried because my "stools" are kind of black and tarry looking and she thinks I might have internal bleeding. I really feel just fine so what can you tell her?
From Mergatroyd.



Dear Mergatroyd,



If you are being fed raw meat (and you should be getting nice fatty raw meat every day) you certainly will have stools which appear to be black and tarry and this is quite normal for a meat eating ferret.

Most of the books written about ferrets come the United States and, unlike us ferrets here, ferrets in that country are not usually fed raw meat as part of their diet, although they should be, in which case black tarry stools would be the cause of immediate concern.



Internal bleeding is rare in ferrets, but apart from the distinctive bowel motions owners may also notice one or more of the following symptoms:

  • A decrease in activity
  • Grinding teeth together
  • Salivating
  • Pale nose & gums
  • Decrease in appetite



    So, if you notice black stools, don't think the worst. However if you feel that your ferret is really unwell for any reason, please do not hesitate to visit the vet, as a timely visit could save your pet's life.

    My friend Gus doesn't eat meat at all, so his Mum nearly died when she saw the really black stools he did one day. Then she saw the empty licorice packet and knew he had been up to no good again, boy was she relieved.

    Love and Dooks, Rucus.







    Weak Legs



    Dear Rucus,


    My ferret has suddenly gone weak in the back legs. He is eating, pooing, weeing and playing just fine and is bright and alert. Should I do anything?
    Signed, Red.





    Dear Red,


    Yes, Red. Straight off to the vet with you and your ferret. Weakness in the back legs is a symptom that can have many causes and just shows that your ferret is in trouble health-wise.



    Note: This particular problem was dealt with over the phone. Radar was found to have cancer of the spleen, had his spleen removed and I'm happy to report that he is recovering well.

    Dooks and War Dances from Rucus.







    Blue Skin



    Dear Rucus,


    My ferret's skin has turned blue!!! What does it all mean?


    I am still working on the meaning of life and almost have the answer, so stand by!



    Blue skin is seen at this time of year when us ferrets are growing our new coats, and the new dark fur developing under the skin causes the skin to take on a bluish tinge. I think it looks very atractive but it can almost cause heart failure in owners who don't know what it is. They just have to wait for a week and the skin will be the normal colour again. It is a phenomenon only seen in brown ferrets as albinos do not grow dark hair!! My friend Jack is an albino and the closest he got to this special look was when he wore a new navy blue harness and the colour ran. Albinos do, however become a beautiful shade of orange or apricot when they get their new coat (Jack wanted me to add that part).


    Dooks and Singing the Blues from Rucus.






    Fur Balls



    Dear Rucus,


    Do ferrets get fur balls? Skittles has a nasty cough but it seems to be only early, early, early in the morning. Do you have any suggestions?

    Jules



    Hello Jules,


    If Skittles has a diet including chunky raw meat, she will not get fur balls. It seems that overseas ferrets which are fed dry food only, are prone to them but we have not seen one case in Western Australia.

    Ferrets can suffer from sinusitis and/or allergies and their efforts to clear their nose can sound like a cough. If she is otherwise in good health and the cough is not getting any worse, I would give her more time to get over it. If she has a discharge from the nose or her breathing is different in any way, she should see a ferret-knowledgeable vet soon. Demazin infant drops (0.3mL twice per day) can give temporary relief. Ferrets can have "chronic snuffles" which never really goes away and sometimes needs to be treated by a vet. Using "Breathe-Easy" to wash your ferrets bed clothes may also help reduce allergy symptoms to quite a large degree.

    Love & Dooks from Rucus.






    Chronic Snuffles




    Dear Rucus,


    "Girlie" & "Boy" went to see our vet recently as we were very concerned at particularly "Boy's" loss of hair on end of tail and weight loss all over. Still his cheery chappie self - eating and playing as normal, but with familiar coughing and sneezing. Both were given antibiotic injection. I was wondering if you have seen much of this and had any clues? Vet suggested perhaps asthma or allergies. Whilst we were there we met another club member who had similar symptoms in her ferret at home. I told her I would let Rucus know the result. "Boy" has been taking 0.1mL of Linctol at night for 10 days now. Well not too much has changed. Very slight increase in his weight, not much difference in the hair loss. Both are eating and sleeping as well as ever so it's hard to know.

    Love from Fe & Ez.



    Dear Fe & Ez,


    I wish I had an answer for you but I don't. Quite a few ferrets have this problem and my Mum & I know of some who have been tested for everything including what sort of germs are growing in their sinuses and lungs; but still no answers at this stage. My friends "Kip" and "Sycon" are being treated for allergies at the moment and that seems to help a little. The best advice I can offer is to treat the symptoms with medicine, like Linctol or Demezin, to help dry up the secretions if they really get blocked up. These won't cure your ferrets, but will let them breathe a bit easier. Some people even put a little Vicks in hot water and let their ferrets breathe in the fumes (apparently it's really funny trying to keep the towel over a ferrets' head). You may want to ask your vet about some allergy treatment the next time you visit to see if that will help and you could also see if washing "Boy" & "Girlie's" bedding in Breathe-Easy makes any difference.

    Best of Luck,

    Dooks from Rucus.





    Colds & Flu



    Dear Rucus,


    I've caught a bad cold and I worry that my ferrets will catch it from me. Is there anything I can do to prevent this happening? If they do come down with the cold, how do I treat them?

    From Gerry.



    Dear Gerry,


    My friend Theadore, caught a cold once and my Mum was very embarrassed when he did a big wet sneeze over a man who was meeting ferrets for the first time. Yes, we ferrets do catch colds but there are a few things you can do to stop them from getting your virus. The first is to wash your hands well each time after using a tissue, rubbing your eyes, touching your mouth or any part of you which may harbour the cold bug. Viruses don't live for very long after leaving the warm, moist environment where they cause havoc, and rely on direct contact to spread. I'm afraid you will have to forego ferret kisses too, until you are better. If your ferrets do catch a cold or flu virus, they will show the same symptoms as you: Runny nose, moist eyes, perhaps a cough, and they need to be treated the same as you: Keep warm, plenty of rest, plenty of fluids and nourishing food.

    As long as the discharge from the nose remains clear, there is no need to worry, but if the discharge becomes thick and yellow or green, it could mean that there could be a bacterial infection and a visit to the vet is necessary.

    I hope that you feel better soon and that nobody else gets infected.
    Love and Dooks, Rucus.






    Grey Fur Coat



    Dear Rucus,


    One of my ferrets isn't looking very well. I only got them and the coat of one of them has gone GREY. She is eating and drinking, weeing and pooing normally and is as feisty as ever. Her sister is still the same colour. She is only a young ferret. What am I doing wrong?

    Love from Tara.



    Dear Tara,


    Rest assured that you are doing nothing wrong.

    This is the time of year when ferrets grow their winter coats. For some of us, we also have dramatic change in colour or pattern.

    Because you probably have a silvermitt, the silver in her coat will become more pronounced each year. In fact, some silvermitts look like polecats when they are young and don't show their true colours until they are about three years old.

    I think the pearly sheen of a new silvermitt coat is one of the prettiest sights you can see (I am a silvermitt, of course).

    If you ever board your ferrets during a coat change, you may have difficulty recognising your pet when you are reunited. Some ferrets grow or lose masks and/or grow patterns which have never been there before. Some ferrets don't change all that much, while others will look very diferent. Last winter, my mum saw a ferret coming towards her and said, "Which ferret are you?" After she picked her up and cuddled her, she found out that it was "Toes" who had changed beyond recognition overnight.

    At this time of year, in dark ferrets you may also see the "blue ferret syndrome". Sometimes, as the ferret loses the summer coat, the winter coat has not quite grown and each hair is waiting in its follicle to emerge. This gives the skin a real blue appearance and many is the ferret who has been rushed to the vet's for turning blue when there is nothing at all the matter.

    New winter coats are usually more smooth and glossy as well and it is sometimes easy for a ferret to slip right out of your hands when you try to pick it up. To prevent a nasty fall or injury, care needs to be taken that you use two hands to pick up your ferret.


    Dooks, Rucus.