There are many health issues when it comes to ferrets. This section is aimed to provide a few brief answers to some common health questions. You are encouraged to submit your own ideas and/or articles. However, please seek the advice of your veterinarian at all times.

1. My ferret has loose green poop and sometimes seedy poop. Could this be ECE?
For ECE related questions I recommend visiting Dr. William's { ECE Pathology page }. *Please note that the images on his site are graphic* You can also visited some of Dr. William's { other pages }.

2. My ferret is loosing hair all over his body. What could this be?
The most likely reason is Adrenal Disease. This disease is so common amongst ferrets. Other reasons could be improper diet. Adrenal Disease affects the ferret's adrenal gland and causes it to enlarge and over produce hormones. This causes the ferret to loose his/her hair.

Some fuzzies become aggressive towards their cage mates, some also have signs of "spot" peeing, mounting behavior, or in males trouble peeing.

Tests were being done with adrenal ferrets using a drug called Melatonin. You may have herd of Melatonin in the health food industry. It's illegal in Canada, but in America it can be obtained easily. Unfortunately, Melatonin wasn't successful in trial studies.

At the shelter, we have been using a naturopathic medicine called Drenamin (Nature's Alternative, Scottsdale, AZ. 602-941-0733). In Saigon's case, it grew his hair back and shrunk his adrenal gland almost 50% by the time we did surgery. The only side effect I can see so far is weight gain.

We used Drenamin on several other ferrets with a good success rate. However, it is not curative. The ferrets got a 1/4 tablet, crushed up and mixed with FerretVite 2 times a day for a month, then a 1/4 tablet once a day for 4 months. After stopping the use of Drenamin, within 4 months all the ferrets developed signs of Adrenal Disease. We then tried to use Drenamin again but had no results.

Before using any experimental vitamin or drug, we strongly suggest you talk to your veterinarian first. In the event you think your ferret has Adrenal Disease, please speak to your veterinarian.

3. My veterinarian has recommended supportive care. What is that?
Supportive care consists of Duck Soup, hand feedings, warmth and sometimes fluids need to be placed under your ferret's skin. Please feel free to use the shelter's { Duck Soup recipe }.

4. Sometimes my ferret paws at his mouth or stops playing and stares into space for no reason.
This is usually known as early signs of Insulinoma. At this time, there is no cure for this disease. Surgery can prolong life for a few extra months, but sadly, death occurs.

Insulinoma is a cancer of the pancreas. Tiny growths of insulin grow inside the ferret's pancreas and at times send out a burst of insulin into the ferret's system. Signs include; pawing at the mouth (indicating nausea), starring into space as if dazed, seizures & coma. Some of our members have had luck with treating their ferrets the Naturopathic way. Please seek the advice of a qualified ferret veterinarian if you see any signs of Insulinoma.

5. My ferret has been coughing, has a pot belly and has been hard to wake up from sleep. What is this?
Cardiomyopathy is one of the most common heart conditions in a ferret. Cardiomyopathy causes the heart muscles to become weak and the heart must work harder to pump blood to the whole body.

CMP is sad and can happen at any age. Ferrets, like Dobermans are prone to this disease. I feel it's very important to have x-rays done of your ferret every year after he/she reaches 3 years of age. Early detection is sometimes a life saver.

6. My ferret has a very large belly and I can feel her Lymph nodes. She has also lost so much weight.
Sadly cancers in the ferret occur all too often. I recently lost my baby girl Akasha to this dreadful disease. In all cancers, Lymphosarcoma. (Lymphoma) is the most common.

Lymphoma is seen when the ferret's spleen or Liver enlarges. The lymph nodes can also enlarge and the ferret looses weight. According to some vets, removal of the spleen is useful, but usually only prolongs life by a few short months. Cancers can be seen in any organ in the ferret. It is so important to have regular check ups done with your ferret.

Junior Lymphoma is heartbreaking and occurs in ferrets under 2. There is no cure or definite treatment for this.

7. "My ferret has stopped eating, has not gone to the bathroom in 2 days and throws up when I try to feed him Duck Soup and he has lost weight."
Intestinal blockages are also very common in ferrets. Usually surgery is the only option here or the ferret will die. Ferrets love to chew and will ingest anything from a door stopper to a sponge. This is a medical emergency and your ferret must be seen by a vet immediately!

8. My ferret has a broken tooth. Can this be harmful?
Absolutely! If the ferret's tooth becomes green or discolored it could mean infection. The infection, if not treated could go to the ferret's brain and kill him. Ask your veterinarian to have a look at it.

9. I'm interested in treating my ferret with natural meds. How do I do it?
Naturopathic medication has been around for centuries. There are Naturopathic Doctors and yes, Veterinarians.

Over the past few years, I have been exposed to natural herbs and vitamins for my own health problems as well as my mother’s bone & breast cancer.

Many of our members choose to treat their pets the natural way as well. While this could be great, it is never recommended you treat your animals naturally without the advice of a Veterinarian. Many of us have used Colloidal Silver for our fuzzies. Some of us even on a daily basis. While this is great if your fuzzy is sick, I wanted to include a precaution.

Silver should never be used on a healthy ferret. It acts like an antibiotic and “kills” both good & bad bacteria in the stomach and intestine. Secondly, cheaper Silver may actually do more harm than good for your ferret. Cheaper Silver has larger particles of Silver in the tincture. Larger particles can actually lodge in a ferret’s organs and cause build up. A good silver is more expensive but must have particles no bigger than .001 Micro Clusters to be safer for use in a ferret or human.

In treating terminal cancer with my mom & Akasha who sadly we lost in July, I have seen small miracles. Using Timmy's Tonic along with the herbs Po D'Arco, Shark Cartilage, Essiac Tea & Red Clover, Akasha lived longer than any vet could believe. My mom’s bone cancer actually shrank and even though she is not in remission, the doctors feel she is doing better than they had hoped.

When we were told that Akasha had Cancer in almost every organ in her body and there was nothing they could do for her, I was devastated. I took her home to die. I was told 2.5 months maximum. She lived for 9 months after healthy until the end where she lost all her weight in the last 7 days of her life. ECE was made easier to deal with using Ferretzime a natural product which mimics the enzymes a carnivore would get from eating raw meat. Dr. Swift (creator of Ferretzime) also encourages a raw meat diet for ferrets.

A new study treating Adrenal Disease in Ferrets is under way as well. Melatonin which humans use to help them sleep has been showing dramatic results in some ferrets. It does not prolong their lives, but can help alleviate symptoms of aggression, hair loss and swollen vulvas in cases which are inoperable. Drenamin is the choice of the shelter to use in ferrets who are not surgical candidates.

If you want to naturally treat your fuzzy, please seek the advice of a Veterinarian.