How to Diagnose a Sick Ferret

Although ferrets remain common pets in the U.S., many vets don't have the same level of familiarity with their illnesses as with other pets. Entirely domesticated animals, ferrets only live six to ten years on average, and they suffer from many illnesses. The following steps help you recognize specific symptoms to diagnose a sick ferret. If you suspect a serious health problem, consult your vet. Read on to learn more.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

1. Note excessive hair loss, male urinary blockage and a female's swollen vulva as signs of adrenal disease. A common disease for ferrets more than three years old, adrenal disease involves tumors on one or both sides of their adrenal glands. Hair loss typically starts on the tail, the back feet and shoulder blades.
2. Consider aleutian virus if your ferret displays such varied symptoms as lethargy, weight loss, hind quarter weakness, seizures or twitching, anemia, blood in the stool and an enlarged liver or spleen. Many of these symptoms present with other illnesses, so contact your vet for a firm diagnosis.
3. Diagnose cardiomyopathy through an EKG or x-ray. Cardiomyopathy consists of the heart muscle weakening to the point of not properly pumping blood. The symptoms include a persistent cough, decreased activity and difficulty breathing.
4. Recognize symptoms of epizotic catarral enteritis (ECE), an extremely common and contagious virus for ferrets. An intestinal infection, ECE presents with dark green slimy diarrhea, birdseedlike stools, appetite loss and lethargy.
5. Think about gastric ulcers if your sick ferret shows such symptoms as black tarry stools, vomiting, weight and appetite loss, teeth grinding, lethargy and gagging.
6. Notice symptoms such as drooling, a confused and dazed look, vomiting, weight loss, seizures, hind end weakness and appetite loss. These symptoms, which come and go, could be a sign of pancreatic cancer.
7. Determine if your ferret may have lymphosarcoma, cancer of the lymphatic system. Symptoms include wasting and lethargy, lumps on the body, and an enlarged spleen and lymph nodes.