Archive for the Ferrets Category

One of the more common health issues ferrets are prone to is developing tumours (lesions) on the adrenal gland. The first sign is generally hair loss. Although these lesions are themselves not generally life threatening and tumour metastasis is rare, it is important for ferret owners to understand that the alopecia (hair loss) associated with adrenal tumours is

Feeding your ferret an appropriate diet is crucial to its health and wellbeing. In fact, it’s critical to your pet’s very survival. Ferrets are carnivores. More precisely, they are obligate carnivores. Like cats, ferrets cannot survive without meat in their diet. In the wild the ferret is a predator, eating not only the muscle meat of their prey

Desexing (speying) your female ferrets is not so much an option but more a necessity to ensure their continuing health. Your pet could die if not speyed. A female ferret is what is known as an ‘induced ovulator,’ meaning they remain in oestrus (heat) for long periods if not mated. This results in too much oestrogen being produced

Whilst not a disease in itself, a bout of diarrhoea in your pet ferret is a clear indication that all is not well and that there are underlying issues that need to be addressed. Because of their small size any episode of diarrhoea can quickly lead to ferrets becoming dehydrated, which can have serious consequences, particularly for very

Ferrets are susceptible to the same virus that causes distemper in dogs. The disease is 100 per cent fatal in ferrets. Clinical signs: Symptoms are similar to those seen in dogs and include thick discharges from the eye and nasal cavities, fever and loss of appetite. Often a rash under the chin and groin area will also be

Ferrets cannot ‘catch a cold’ but they are susceptible to the human influenza virus (flu). The incubation period is 24 – 48 hours and the course of the disease usually lasts five days. Clinical signs: Symptoms are similar to those in people with the flu (and to the early signs of distemper) including nasal discharge, sneezing, fever and