Addison's Disease in Ferrets
Addison's disease, or hypoadrenocorticism, occurs when a ferret has a severe deficiency or total lack of the hormones made in the adrenal cortex. It usually occurs when both adrenal glands
are removed, called a bilateral adrenalectomy, because of adrenal disease. What should you look for and how is it treated?
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Adrenal Disease
Adrenal disease is most common in ferrets over the age of three years, but it can affect ferrets as young as a year old. Adrenal disease is one of the most prevalent ferret diseases, and there is no definitive test for it. Ferret owners need to know as much as possible about it to be able to recognize it and help the ferret after he is diagnosed by the veterinarian.
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Aleutian Disease Virus (ADV)
Of growing concern to ferret owners, breeders, and rescue organizations is Aleutian Disease (AD). Aleutian Disease Virus (ADV) is a parvovirus, but not the same strains as those that affect dogs, cats, or humans.
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Canine Distemper in Ferrets
Canine distemper is an airborne virus that is extremely contagious. It can be spread through direct or indirect contact, and you can bring it into your home on your shoes and clothing. Ferrets are extremely susceptible to the canine distemper virus, and the fatality rate of ferrets that contract canine distemper is virtually 100%. Because this disease is so fatal for ferrets, it is very important that all ferret owners know the symptoms of canine distemper, as well as how to prevent it.
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Deafness in Ferrets
Parenting a deaf ferret isn’t all that different than parenting a regular ferret. Their lives don’t suffer any for not being able to hear, and they can still be the loving, playful ferrets that hearing ferrets can be. There are just a few things you should know if you are the parent of a deaf ferret.
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Diabetes in Ferrets
One of my ferrets was recently diagnosed with diabetes. When I did some research, I discovered that there was a definite lack of information available about diabetes in ferrets. This article is not meant to tell you exactly how to treat your diabetic ferret, but rather to share with you the information that I've come across as well as what I have found to be effective or ineffective. Any courses of treatment or changes in treatment should be discussed thoroughly with your veterinarian.
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Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Ferrets
Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most common heart disease in ferrets. In cardiomyopathy, for some reason, muscle cells in the heart start to die. As a result, the heart starts to weaken and cannot pump efficiently.
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Disseminated Idiopathic Myositis (DIM) in Ferrets ('Polymyositis')
Disseminated Idiopathic Myositis (DIM), also known as "Polymyositis," is a "new" disease in pet ferrets. Myositis, or polymyositis, is an inflammation of the muscles. "Disseminated" means it is widespread throughout the body. "Idiopathic" means we, at present, do not understand the cause.
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ECE: The Green Slime Disease
Characterized by neon green, slimy diarrhea, ECE is an inflammation of the mucous membranes in the intestines. ECE is a very common problem, especially among pet store kits. So how can you recognize the symptoms, and once the disease is diagnosed, how can you treat it?
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Gastric Ulcers
Gastric ulcers are fairly common in ferrets, so it’s essential that you familiarize yourself with the symptoms. If caught in time, ulcers are completely treatable, so recognizing and properly identifying symptoms can save your ferrets life!
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The Importance of Ferret Dental Care
We all know how important it is that we take care of our teeth with daily brushings, flossing and regular dentist visits, but how many people stop to consider how important their ferrets’ dental health is? The truth of the matter is that ferrets need their teeth brushed and cleaned too, and that impaired dental health can lead to a lot more problems for them than it can for us!
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Inflammatory Bowel Disease in Ferrets
Though inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is common in ferrets, there are still many questions regarding the cause and treatment of this disease that remain unanswered. "IBD" is a broad term referring to a collection of signs and microscopic changes in the GI tract that may be due to a number of causes. How do you diagnose IBD, and how can you treat it?
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Kidney Disease in Ferrets
Kidney disease (also referred to in medical terminology as renal disease) is not as common in ferrets as it is in some other domestic animals.
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Know Your Ferret: Checkups for Health
Ferret caretakers should perform the following assessments of their companion ferrets each month to ensure good health and preventative care. Remember - finding a health problem early can make all the difference in a quick recovery.
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Lupron Depot: What is it and what does it do?
Lupron®, or leuprolide acetate, is a drug that is used to treat adrenal disease in ferrets. "Depot" refers to how it works - it releases the entire dosage over a set period of time. Lupron is a synthetic agonist version of GnRH (gonadotropin releasing hormone), but what does that mean? How does it work to treat the symptoms of adrenal disease?
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Lymphoma in Ferrets: Diagnosis & Treatment
Lymphoma is one of the top three medical problems that affects our ferrets, and it appears to be more prevalent now than it used to be. It is highly likely that you will encounter lymphoma among your ferret family at some point. Therefore it's important for you to know about the different forms of lymphoma, how to diagnosis it, and what treatments are available for your ferret.
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Making A First Aid Kit For Your Ferret
It is almost inevitable that at some time your ferret will become ill or require medical attention. The following is a recommended list of items to have on hand in case of emergency or illness.
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Making Healthy Choices
There are some important things that every ferret owner should know before choosing food and treats for their ferrets.
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Prednisone Uses & Benefits
Prednisone is one of the most frequently prescribed medicines for ferrets. It is a corticosteroid, and it has a variety of different uses in ferrets, including the treatment of a number of the most common ferret diseases.
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Reasons for Ferret Hair Loss
While adrenal disease is the most common reason for ferret hair loss, there are other reasons for a ferret to start losing hair, a condition known as “alopecia.” This article will run through the various reasons and give hair loss patterns to look for.
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Respiratory Infections in Ferrets: Signs, Causes, & Treatment
Upper respiratory infections are rare in healthy ferrets that are kept in a good environment and have limited to no contact with sickly animals. Ferrets that are most susceptible to infections include kits, older ferrets, ferrets with weakened or suppressed immune systems, and ferrets living in unhealthy conditions.
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Spaying & Neutering Your Ferret
Because most ferrets in the United States come from large scale breeders, the majority of ferrets bred here are neutered or spayed at a very early age. Many states have laws that prevent the sale or ownership of whole or "unaltered" ferrets. However, there are small scale ferret breeders around the country, so there is a chance that you may one day find yourself the owner of an unaltered ferret. If that happens, there are a few things you need to know to properly care for your ferret.
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Splenomegaly (Enlarged Spleen) in Ferrets
"Splenomegaly" is the medical term for the condition of having an enlarged spleen. Splenomegaly is very common in ferrets. Approximately 5% of all cases of splenomegaly are due to cancer.
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Surgical Recovery
If you own ferrets, odds are that at one point, you are going to have a ferret that needs surgery. Many ferrets will develop adrenal disease during their lives, and in most cases the treatment will be surgery. Surgery is also performed in cases of insulinomas, blockages, certain biopsies and other conditions. It is important to know what to do before and after your ferret's surgery to make sure that she has a successful recovery as quickly as possible.
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Vaccinating Your Ferret
Many people think that since their ferrets don't go outside the house or interact with other ferrets, they don't need to vaccinate them. This couldn't be further from the truth, and it actually puts their ferrets at risk. Ferrets need two vaccinations, canine distemper and rabies, and there are certain protocols you will need to follow to make sure they are effective and safe.
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September 2006 was Insulinoma Awareness Month
Insulinoma is one of the most common ferret diseases, yet many ferret owners are not familiar with the signs and treatment for it. We here at FerretFacts.com and TheFerretStore.com in conjunction with several others in the ferret community promoted September 2006 as "Insulinoma Awareness Month".
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