Ferret Health Problems, Diseases, Illnesses Symptoms and Treatments
Adrenal Disease
Adrenal disease is one of the most common diseases that can affect a ferret. Adrenal disease is when the adrenal gland is enlarged or grows in such a way that requires surgery. Usually, you will see your ferret lose hair around their tail and move up the body. Sometimes, your ferret will lose hair on the back of its neck. If you leave it untreated, the ferret will die, but if you catch it early, they will have less problems. ADV
ADV is also known as Aleutian Disease Virus. It is a kind of parvovirus that can infect ferrets and their cousin species alike. It will produce an excessive, fast and severe weight loss in the animal. There is no cure and it can kill your pet. Many times, the symptoms are treatable. They can get this disease through urine or feces. A ferret who is not affected can still infect another animal without experiencing any symptoms of the disease. You should get a CEP or CIEP test, or a Counter Immune ElectroPhoresis test, performed to make sure that the animal does not have this problem. ECE
ECE or Epizootic Catarrhal Enteritis is also known as the Green Slime Disease. This disease is an inflammation of their mucus membranes. This inflammation will cause a green, slimy and odor-filled feces while the pet has diarrhea. The feces will smell more than usual and the greenish color is distinctive, indicating a bigger problem is at hand. The cause for this disease is not known. The disease will last as long as two weeks and can sometimes go away without treatment. In about 20% of the cases, however, it becomes more serious and the animal starts to waste away. If this is the case, the owner will need to seek immediate treatment. There are some treatments, such as slippery elm bark powder, but all in all, this disease has not been around long enough for comprehensive treatment. Ferret Ear Problems
Ferrets need to have clean ears all the time. It is very important to keep them clean and dry or else ear mites and other infections will occur. You will need to put a weak solution in their ears so that they can shake their heads and expel the excess material. You will need an ear cleaner such as Tresaderm to treat ear mites. You will need to repeat the process every day for a week and look carefully into the ears with a flashlight. You will have to look for any substances in the ears that should not be there. Their ear canals are L-shaped, so you will not likely pierce their ear drum. You will still need to be very careful. Cancer
Older ferrets can develop tumors and other cancers after the age of four. Some are treatable with surgery, while others are inoperable. Ferrets see cancer at the same rate as any other animal. You will still not want your ferret to come across any materials that might make them more prone to cancer. While they are exploring, keep them away from Benzene and other organic solvents that have been known to increase the risk of cancer. More Articles on Ferret Health Care: | 