Ferret Illness
Vaccinations
Canine Distemper is nearly 100% fatal in ferrets. In the SLIGHT chance they do survive, brain damage is very evident. For this reason we recommend that your ferret be vaccinated for this virus. Even if your ferret never leaves the house, it is possible to bring home the virus on your shoes and clothing. FerrvacD is the only approved Canine Distemper vaccine available for use in ferrets. However, we have seen a high reaction rate in ferrets using this vaccine. Many veterinarians throughout North America and ferret owners are choosing to use GalaxyD or PureVax instead. While PureVax is licensed for use in ferrets, Galaxy is not, so please discuss the vaccine pros & cons with your veterinarian before making the switch. In any case, you should remain at your vet’s office for at lease 30 minutes after your pet has been vaccinated to insure prompt care should your pet have a reaction.Rabies is highly uncommon in ferrets. There has also never been a reported case where a ferret transmitted rabies to a human. But, your pet must still be vaccinated against this virus. This is 100% fatal and there is no treatment. If your ferret was to bite someone, they will be placed under quarantine for 10 days providing they have the vaccine. The ONLY vaccine that should be used on your ferret is IMRAB. This is a killed virus vaccine.
Anaemia
Female ferrets MUST be spayed in order to prevent this deadly form of Anaemia. If the female ferret goes into her heat cycle, she will stay in heat until she is fixed, bred or dies. During the heat cycle, the female’s estrogen levels become very high and begin damaging the bone marrow. At this point the bone marrow stops producing white and red blood cells. The condition comes on slowly and often without symptoms. By the time symptoms occur it is often too late to save the female’s life, despite therapy from a veterinarian. Thankfully, since most ferrets are spayed/neutered at the time of purchase, this type of estrogen toxicity is becoming very rare. A female ferret that has Adrenal Disease may also develop anemia.
Descenting
Descenting is not a necessary procedure. It is strongly recommended that you do not descent your ferrets unless it’s for a valid medical reason. Descenting your ferret will not change the way he/she smells. Neutering/spaying is all that needs to be done. Unaltered males produce a very strong odor to attract their female counterpart. Some of this smell is obtained from the male bathing in his urine, while most of the smell is due to the production of hormones in the skin. When a female goes into heat, her smell is slightly more tolerable. Non-descented ferrets will “poof” if in fear of being attacked, angered or over-excited. This “poof” is much like human flatulence and smells like rotten eggs. The smell dissipates naturally after about 5 minutes and does not stain clothing or furniture. They do not spray scent like their cousin the skunk. *** If you have adopted a non-descented ferret from our shelter, you MUST have their anal glands expressed at least once a year to avoid impaction. ***
Parasites
Ferrets get fleas & ticks just like other mammals. If your pet has them, please use a flea shampoo that is safe for cats. Heart worm has also been affecting ferrets around North America. It is carried by the common mosquito and is preventable by using the same medication used in dogs.
Ear mites are common in ferrets and usually come from other household pets or from taking walks outside with your ferret. It is easily taken care of by using Ivermection drops in your ferret’s ears (available though your Vet). This type of mite is very itchy to your ferret and can cause hearing loss and in worst case ear drum damage if not taken care of. Heart Worm can also be a concern. Depending on where you live and whether or not you take your ferrets outdoors, you should speak to your veterinarian to see if using a heart worm preventative would benefit you. To date, there have been no cases of heart worm in Ontario ferrets.
There are many other parasites your ferret can catch. We STRONGLY recommend that if you touch or handle another animal (including other ferrets) that you change your clothing and take a shower BEFORE handling your own ferrets. Viruses (cost to treat – up to $500) Ferrets are susceptible to human strains of the flu. Just like in humans, the flu can be deadly to a ferret. They often have the same symptoms as we do like a runny nose, watery eyes, sneezing and lethargy. Sometimes your ferret will go off his/her food. If this happens, we recommend a trip to the vet. “Goo” (or baby food) can also be helpful to a sick ferret. Please ask the shelter for a Goo recipe just for ferrets. If your ferret becomes extremely lethargic or stops eating everything, please see your veterinarian.
ADV (cost to treat – undetermined)
Aleutians Disease Virus is not a new virus to our furry friends. In the last year there has been a rise on reported cases of ADV in the ferret community in the USA. To date, there have been only four confirmed cases of ADV in Canadian ferrets (all in Ontario in 2006). We believe there are many more cases n Canada but veterinarians aren’t making the test for ADV a regular exam so we’re not finding it. There is no cure for ADV and it is important you talk with your veterinarian about regular testing for ADV with your ferret. Testing is easy and can be done through the University of Guelph ($40) or www.avecon.com ($12 US)
Blockages (cost to treat - up to $2,000)
As stated before, hairballs are the most common blockage in ferrets. Other forms of
blockages can be foam, rubber, plastic, cotton and in some cases material from towels or other bedding. The signs of a foreign body blockage vary depending where the object is lodged inside the intestine. Some of the signs are gradual weight loss, extreme depression or lethargy, vomiting, loss of appetite, dehydration, dark tarry stools or no stool. If any of these signs are present in your ferret, they must be brought to a veterinary immediately! To wait even a few more hours could prove fatal to your pet. Often surgery must be performed to dislodge the object in your ferret’s intestines or your pet will die. Blockages can occur in a ferret of ANY age.
Adrenal Disease (Cost to treat – up to $2,000)
Adrenal disease is very common in ferrets. It can effect ferrets from as young as 1 year old to 8 years old. It is a wasting disease. More often than not it can be cured through surgery. Symptoms include hair loss, a “pot” belly appearance, swollen vulva in a spayed female, spot peeing, aggression towards other ferrets and mounting behavior in neutered males. In the female ferret with Adrenal Disease, anemia is often present. Males suffer with blocked prostates which can cause the urine to back up into the kidneys, causing irreversible damage. Treatments for curing or managing Adrenal Disease include Lupron, Cryosurgery
(freezing the cells with liquid nitrogen to kill cells) laser surgery and regular
adrenalectomy. In the short term, Lupron is the cheapest source of treatment. NO
studies have shown that Lupron cures the illness. In the long run, Lupron becomes far less cost effective. 1 year of Lupron therapy can successfully pay for an adrenalectomy. Though there is a blood test to determine if your ferret has Adrenal Disease, in our pinion it is not worth the $300 price tag. If it looks adrenal, smells adrenal, seems adrenal, chances are it IS adrenal. Spend the money on treatment, not on diagnostics. There are times where the blood test is important but not for a diagnosis. We only suggest it in cases where surgery and medical treatment have failed and a new aproch is needed to come up with a proper drug cocktail.
ECE This corona virus has swiped across the nation and into Canada. It’s a dirrehal virus that slowly eats away the lining of the ferret’s intestine preventing it from absorbing nutrient. It has a very low mortality rate in treated ferrets, but can be deadly to untreated ferrets or older ferrets with pre existing conditions. Currently, there is no vaccine for this virus. In most American States, ECE is not seen anymore due to wide-spread infection and recouperation. In Canada (particulary Ontario) with the masses of Please talk with your veterinarian about ECE.
Cancer
There are so many different types of cancer your ferret can get. Of them, the most
common is Lymphosarcoma. This type of cancer affects all the organs and is some
cases the spinal cord. Chemotherapy is sometimes used to treat this condition. Early
signs of this disease include, but are not limited to: staring into space, lethargy,
depression & sudden collapse during play.
Insulinoma
This type of disease is manageable through surgery and Prednisone. Tiny insulin
producing tumours attach themselves to the ferret’s pancreas and release bursts of
insulin causing your ferret to have spells of weakness, seizures or other symptoms.
Watch for a “speed bump” ferret, gazing off into space. Have your ferret’s blood glucose levels checked.
Veterinary visits
It is important to have your ferret seen by a veterinarian yearly. Not just for its annual shots, but for an exam and physical too. By the time your ferret is 4 we also recommend that you take yearly x-rays and blood tests. This way, you are up to date with your ferret’s complete health and can watch for slight changes over the years. At 6, your ferret should be seen every 6 months with blood tests and x-rays. Early diagnosis of any disease allows for early treatment and a longer happier life with your pet.