How to Pick Up an Injured Ferret

Video Transcript

" Hi! My name is Fran Friedman and I'm with Morning Star Animal Sanctuary and I am here to talk about broken bones in ferrets on behalf of expertvillage.com. Sometimes you may find a ferret that has been in trouble and has broken bones and sometimes they even be injured in their own cages on some of the step ladders. They get their feet caught or if their nails get caught and they are not trimmed properly on fabric. They can twist and turn sometimes and sometimes break a leg. Just know a ferret like any other domestic animal will bite out of fear or pain. So remember if you are going to pick up your ferret and you are sure he is in pain and distress, you may want to try picking him up with a thick towel just to protect yourself because he may not know where the pain is coming from and blame you for it. Just out of fear or something is hurting him and he doesn't know why. It is very painful in a ferret to have a broken bone so sometimes you just have to be extra careful even if you know your ferret well. You are going to want to get that ferret to the vet immediately. Definitely call ahead and tell them you are coming in. They will probably have to take X-rays and it is definitely going to cost some money. Be ready. We always tell people who adopt animals that be ready to put your hands in your pocket and some people even have a fund set up for their ferret because its not that you are going to need it, it is when you are going to need it for some medical reason for your ferret. Definitely be very careful even if you have big thick, leather garden gloves if you want to pick up your ferret like that. I would not try to set the bone yourself. They are very small and delicate. It is definitely the thing to get him into a carrier that is easy to have access to; probably one where the top opens so that you don't have to drag them through a front entrance and definitely get them to the vet immediately. "