Ferret Diseases

Pathology of Ferrets   

Ferrets are long, silky, fun filled, and cuddly. They can provide endless hours of fun. They can also give you a migraine as you try to pay for the vet bills you didn't think about when you spontaneously purchased that impossibly cute ferret with the incredibly pointed face at the local pet store.

You don’t need a medical degree for ferrets, but as a pet owner, you must be well acquainted on the dangers underlying your ferret’s medical condition. It is important to get to know your pet’s personality, the better you know your ferrets personality the quicker you will be able to recognize any health issues your ferret might have. There are some illnesses unique only to ferrets and yet other which are also occurring in other members of kingdom Animalia. If you are a concerned owner of a pet ferret, here is a guide that can help you become well-versed on the different pathological states that could happen to your pet ferret.   

The first thing you might learn about your pet ferret is that not only will it love to have your undivided attention it can also catch that twenty-four hour flue you had a few days ago. The ability to catch diseases from their human owners is one of those unique traits that separates ferrets from cats and dogs (cats and dogs can not catch the flu from humans).

Ferrets are very sturdy animals when they are healthy but once they get sick they can go down hill fast. It is important your veterinarian sees your pet and prescribe a treatment as soon as possible.

Young ferrets are often fed hard food before they are really ready for it. The hard food can cause your new pet to develop a prolapsed rectum (the rectum is on the outside of the body instead of inside). Oddly enough this is not normally something your local veterinarian needs to see. Normally the rectum returns to its normal position after a few days. Smear a small amount of Preparation-H on the exposed rectum to help keep it moist and keep a close eye on it. Remember that pink is good. As long as the flesh of the prolapsed rectum is a nice healthy looking rosy pink it’s healthy. If the healthy pink color starts to fade take your pet ferret to the vet for a consultation.

Rabies 

Ferrets get paralyzed in the hind leg when they have rabies, and just like any other mammal, it’s something that humans must watch out for especially if they get bitten by the ferret. But there are particular chemicals that when placed on the ferret will not allow them to secrete the rabies virus from their saliva, but this is also something that needs to be done with when the ferret is still a kit.  

Neural Tube Defects 

The neural defect is a bit of a common condition which involves a deformed ferret skull that can also affect the tissue of the brain and the spinal column. Retardation imminent, there are also growth defects to ferrets which have this condition and they manifest as early as its birth. The loss of neural tissue may sometimes even be highly explicit and unpleasant.   

Helicobacter mustilae and Gastric Ulcers 

Old ferrets (four years and up) are prone to this condition. It is commonly known in human terms as gastric ulcers. Recently discovered, it has taken the lives of many ferrets and posed as one of the dangers that pet owners must consider when having a pet ferret. Peptic ulcers may also result after long term untreated state.  

Megaesophagus 

The esophagus of the ferrets dilates and may sometimes cause bronchopneumonia in some cases. Like dogs and cats that have it, ferrets that have megaesophagus are also at high risk of acquiring the candido infection.  

Enteritis and Intestinal Parasites 

Even ferrets run the risk of having parasites roam in their system, and this is exactly what happens when they get inflicted with enteritis, particularly of the eosinophilic variety. This diseases causes male ferrets of 1 year or younger to waste away. It is also closely linked to other diseases of ferrets, though there is really no tangible evidence of them.  

Canine Distemper 

Lesions and a deadly virus characterize canine distemper. Any ferret afflicted with this illness is sure to die and perish miserably. Treatment is really not an option since the only available things in the market today for this would be the vaccination which is more of a preventive measure. The thing with canine distemper is that it causes lesions and weakens your ferret until it dies.  Read more about Ferret health Care

Colic 

Irregular bowel movements may also harm your pet ferret. Only few in a ferret colony get this kind of disease but their discharges often reeks of blood and mucus. Inside the body the epithelial tissues get thicker, altering the whole ferret body system completely.  

Dental Disease 

Like humans, the pet ferrets’ dentures are exposed and are at risk for some diseases. The canine tips, for one, are most highly at risk since it is the most exposed and most used. Malformations in the teeth shape, discoloration of the entire set of teeth and broken teeth are just some of the examples. 

If you are concerned about being flooded with an endless amount of expensive veterinarian bills that you don't know if you will be able to pay you may want to consider purchasing animal health insurance for your pet ferret.