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Many minor ferret problems can be solved by talking to other ferret owners but if a decision cannot be reached this way-contact your
Vet.Minor injuries can be treated at home but if you at all worried once again - contact your Vet.If your ferret is sick or injured comfort
him by being calm and gentle - talk to him in a soothing manner.Always remember a ferret in pain can strike out and bite no matter
how good your relationship is and sometimes it is better to have a second pair of hands to assist.

Below we have listed a few of the things that can go wrong with your pet but PLEASE remember, if you think the illness is serious
don't wait - consult your Vet straight away. Don't administer any drugs to your pets without first consulting your vet.

Abscesses

can pop up almost overnight and should be lanced,drained and with a course of anti-biotics should clear up
quite quickly.

For two years one of our jills had an abscess develop in her throat area about every 3 months - anti-biotics
and lancing did not stop it re-occurring.Our Vet decided to operate and investigate and he found a second
abscess tucked underneath the first.He believed the second abscess was caused by a hay seed so we can only
assume it embedded itself when Suki was with her previous owner,as we never use hay or straw.Since that
time Suki has been abscess free thank goodness.

Another of our jills developed several abscesses either side of her spaying scar.Apparently she was allergic to
disposable stitches.

REMEMBER ANY LUMP OR BUMP SHOULD BE DEALT WITH RIGHT AWAY ESPECIALLY IN THE THROAT
AREA AS IT COULD IMPAIR YOUR FERRET'S BREATHING.

Aleutians Disease

was discovered in 1956 and ferrets in the U.K were found to have it in 1990,it is said to be passed on by the
wild mink.Some of the symptoms to look for are weight loss - bleeding gums - black faeces - thirst and your
ferret may be unsteady his feet.This disease is a virus so your ferret should be isolated making sure their
housing is disinfected.

Alopecia or hair loss

is a common thing for jills in season on the tail and abdomen.Also in hobs in the breeding season.

To many raw eggs in the diet can lead to hair loss due to a biotin deficiency.Other causes include

tumours - parasites and poor diets.

Anaemia

can be caused by bone marrow disease ( aplastic anaemia) when a jill is left in season for to long before
spaying or mating.Some of the signs are weight loss - maybe hair loss and depression.

Bites

Ferrets will often bite each other at the back of the neck when playing - mating or sometimes in aggression
especially two un-neutered hobs in season.Treat the bites with salt and water then gently apply hospital
savlon diluted/wound powder or savlon cream.If the bites become infected CONTACT YOUR VET for
advice and anti-biotics.

Rat bites can be treated in the same way but it is advisable to seek advice from a Vet as rats pass on a
disease called Leptospirosis.

Bites and stings from insects should be cleaned with soap and water and the sting should be
removed.Sodium Bicarbonate will remove swelling and itching if applied on a cold compress.If the sting is
in the mouth contact your Vet.

If your ferret is bitten by a snake (mainly the adder )put your pet in a darkened container and contact a Vet
immediately.

Botulism

from contaminated food can cause illness and death in a couple of days,so always make sure their food is
fresh and that frozen food is properly defrosted and given at room temperature.

Castration

for all hobs at 6 months old in our eyes is the best policy and we encourage all owners to have this done
whether they are workers or pets.Our workers are all spayed/neutered and it makes no difference to their
performance.Your hobs are less likely to be aggressive or want to wander.The smell of your pets will be
greatly reduced and albino ferrets develop a much whiter coat.

Diarrhoea

can be caused by many things such as - to many dairy products - contaminated food - change of diet - to
much veg - poisoning and worms.It is always best to contact a Vet just incase the diarrhoea is connected
to a more serious illness.

Ears

Check your ferret's ears regularly.Clean them gently with animal or baby wipes never use an earbud.If your
ferret should hold it's head to one side or has black tarry wax in the ear this could suggest an ear infection or
ear mites.If your ferret shakes his head and continually scratches it's ear this could suggest a foreign body
such as a hay seed.Contact a Vet for advice and never use eardrops unless the Vet has approved them.

PLEASE NOTE THAT FRONTLINE SHOULD NEVER BE PUT INTO
FERRET'S EARS.

Eyes

If your ferret should have watery eyes or the eyelids are sticky this could suggest distemper so contact a Vet.

Feet and Nails

Make sure your ferret's living quarters are kept clean and dry to stop the risk of foot rot where the feet will
become swollen ,sore and scabby and the nails may drop out.Cut your ferret's nails at least once a month - if
you should cut down into the nerve apply soft soap to help stop the bleeding.Most Vets now sell a very good
range of clippers,the best we have found are the scissor type as they don't shatter the nail .

Fleas and Ticks

A small amount of Frontline ( available from most Vets-expensive but worth it )along the spine of your pets
will keep them free from lodgers all Summer long.Use a rubber glove sprayed with Frontline and rub into
the coat. Spraying straight onto the skin can and has caused blisters.If you use jumpers for bedding and
shredded paper in their runs,this will cut down the risk of becoming infested.If your ferrets do happen to pick
up a tick, paint it (the tick )with front line and you will be able to remove it more easily.Never just pull off a
live tick as you could leave the head embedded in the skin causing an abscess.Make sure pens and bedding
are cleaned thoroughly after any sign of bugs to make sure they are egg free.During the Summer months you
can become infested almost overnight so be warned.

Flu and Kennel Cough

Ferrets can catch and die from HUMAN FLU very easily as well we know.I lost my 7 year old hob some
years ago to the flu due to our Vet's and our ignorance.Please do not kiss and cuddle your pets if you have
the flu let someone else take over until you are better.Any runny eyes or nose,coughs or sneezing should
be checked out by a Vet.

Ferrets and other mustelids can also catch Kennel Cough (Bordetella bronchiseptica), a bacterial disease
that can be treated using antibiotics. This condotion can be mistaken for "the snuffles" because the
symptoms are a cough and nasal discharge.

The bottom line is that any runny eyes or nose, coughs and sneezing should be checked out by a vet.

...............................................................................................................

Bordetella bronchiseptica is part of canine kennel cough (ck) syndrome recognised in the USA as causing
disease in ferrets boarded at dog kennels/vet premises.

Symptoms:

Hacking cough of undiognosed cause in ferrets.Thick nasal discharge that is often unilateral.Similar to the
snuffles.

Bordetella can produce a toxin which will result in convulsions and death and may be confused with
canine distemper.

Taken from Ferret Husbandry, Medicine and surgery by John H Lewington.Published by Butterworth
Heinemann in 2000

Glands (anal)

In 18 years of keeping ferrets I have only had to have two hob's anal glands emtied.In both cases the
symptoms were biting at the base of the tail causing redness and slight baldness.If this happens contact a
Vet and he will do it for you but be prepared - the smell is dreadful.My Vet's surgery stank for days (or so
he said).

Heatstroke

Ferrets can die very quickly from heatstroke so to avoid it by making sure their pens are NOT in direct
sunlight especially in the Summer.Your ferret will become limp and lifeless so put his feet into cold water
to reduce their temperature and consult a Vet.You will need to obtain from your Vet medication to replace
electrolytes.You could always get some and keep it in for the Summer months just in case.

Heart Failure

in ferrets over 6 years old is quite usual.In the case of my own ferret Tytoo,who died in October 2000 aged 9
years,he went into a state off collapse and sadly passed away.He did not have any of the usual signs - loss
of appetite - muscle wasting and generally looking dull so I did not have any warning.The only good thing
was he went very quickly.

Hair loss (Tail)

During the summer months you may find that your ferret's tails will lose their fur and look very scruffy,
especially albinos. Don't worry about this it will all grow back with their new winter coat.

Hair loss (Body)

This could be the result of to many eggs in their diet - tumours - parasites. A vet check is a must.

Injections

Ferrets can be vaccinated against many things so it is always a good idea to talk with a Vet about the
different vaccines and their side effects ( if any ). Do remember that the canine distemper jab is not
licenced to be used on ferrets but is not illegal.

Vaccinations - Canine Distemper - Cat Flu - Leptospirosis - Botulism

Penal Discharge

You may notice that your hob's penis is discharging.Usually a course of anti-biotics will clear this up very
quickly.

Spaying

your jills at 6 months is in our opinion the best method used to prevent un-wanted pregnancies,aplastic
anaemia and all the other nasty diseases they can have.Here at M.F.W we insist on the spaying of any
jills that are adopted from us if they haven't already been done.We have so many un-wanted kits in during
the Summer months so it is up to all off us to put a stop to unnecessary breeding. Once again if your jills
are workers, spaying will not interfere their performance.

Teeth and Gums

When you handle your ferrets check their mouths for soreness,ulcers,broken teeth and abscesses.Quite a
few of the ferrets that come into our rescue have broken teeth,we can only assume they have spent most
of their lives trying to chew though the wire on their cages trying to get out.This happens because they are
in either small cages - on their own or never handled and played with,of course they want to escape to a
better life.