Ferret Basics

Ferret Basics

by Dr. Sue A. Whitman, D.V.M.

DIET AND DIET-RELATED DISORDERS

Ferrets have a short intestinal transit time (3 hours), and therefore only one meal change or one fasting period can make a dramatic change in the bacterial flora's environment. This is the reason that owners must be informed not to change brands or flavors of food, and also never to allow the ferret to run out of food. Ferrets need food available at all times and should never be on a feeding schedule such as a dog or cat may require. If a ferret is overweight, increasing the activity level is the optimum solution.

Ferrets are carnivores! They are prone to bladder crystals and stones if they are not on a meat-based diet, as grains create an alkaline pH in their urine, allowing crystal formation. Appropriate foods therefore are premium cat food or kitten foods, or actual ferret diets. There are no appropriate ferret foods available at present from a grocery store.

To further complicate the ferret dietary problem, ferrets generally will rebel against any food they were not exposed to as young animals. This goes beyond "finicky"! We often see extreme weight loss and life-threatening diarrhea and dehydration from something as simple as owners changing foods because they read that Purina Kitten Chow was a poor ferret diet (which is true). Owners often try to help their pet by getting Iams or Science Diet, the animal does not view the foreign substance as food, and in refusing to eat it allows bacterial flora imbalance due to fasting to occur, and over the course of 48 hours is critically ill.

The solution? Despite your knowledge that a ferret may be creating bladder stones with each passing moment, you must refrain from making any rapid food change! Depending on the ferret's history, it may have never encountered anything other than grocery store cat food. If you have an adult ferret and do not have a history, there are a few tips to success:

A) Check for a Marshall Farms tattoo in the right ear. These ferrets are weaned onto Marshall Farms ferret diet which is available at pet stores. Not just any brand of ferret food will do, as they do not seem to taste exactly alike. Also, often when a ferret has begun on ferret food and then tastes other grocery store delicacies, they will never go back. This is because ferret food is frequently a fish-based food that was originally designed for mink, and ferrets tend not to like fish as well as chicken or turkey. Some of the new ferret foods (such as Totally Ferret) are chicken-based and are very palatable, but Marshall's are still fish-based.

B) Offer an assortment of the most frequently fed ferret diets- Purina Kitten Chow, Tender Vittles, Iams Kitten, Iams Adult Cat, and Marshall Farms ferret food. Observe closely and let the ferret tell you which it views as food. If it decides none are food, start with Hill's A/D or turkey baby food, forced if necessary to prevent hypoglycemia and hepatic lipidosis while you continue your search for this ferret's food. If you must start from something totally inappropriate (I once had a foster ferret that had eaten only nacho cheese chips for years!) then try an Iams product, Totally Ferret, and/or Hill's Prescription A/D- these seem to be the most ferret-approved diets in our practice.

C) Make changes over several WEEKS (or even months) by mixing the ferret's preferred diet with the human's choice/choices. Yes, that means mixing Iams with nacho cheese chips if necessary! Don't blend the nuggets together, but instead make ½ the bowl one type and the other ½ the other food, or use two bowls. Be sure to change the non-preferred food daily so it is fresh and appealing. Some ferrets simply cannot be changed, so be patient and do not raise expectations too high. My own ferret took an entire year to show any interest in quality food!

D) Warn owners NOT to add Ferretone or tasty vitamins to the new food to make it appealing. This frequently leads to Vitamin A-toxicity, and the food with vitamins will not be viewed as the same as the food without vitamins anyway.

E) Some ferrets are not finicky. Generally this implies that they were introduced to a wide variety of foods in the first 6 months of life. Still remember that bacterial flora balance is crucial to a ferret's health, and make the change over 2-3 weeks, adding a teaspoon more of the new diet daily.
VACCINATION

Basically, there are only a few vaccines approved for use in the ferret. These are FERVAC (United Vaccines, Inc.) for ferret distemper, and IMRAB-1(Rhone Merieux, Inc.) for Rabies. A kit will need a series of distemper vaccines, with the last booster given at 16 weeks. After an initial series, FERVAC is yearly. There are veterinarians using other canine distemper vaccines or canine combination vaccines that are not only non-protective, but may also precipitate distemper in some ferrets. FERRETS ARE SO SENSITIVE TO THE CANINE DISTEMPER VIRUS THAT THEY DO NOT EVEN NEED DOG EXPOSURE TO GET DISTEMPER! Get ferrets vaccinated, because distemper in the ferret is a slow, and ALWAYS FATAL disease! (Just be sure your vet is using FERVAC).

Rabies does not require boosters, and in Indiana is given any time after 12 weeks of age and repeated yearly. Some states may have different ages for the initial vaccination.
HEARTWORMS

Ferrets are susceptible to canine heartworms, and should be given a monthly, NONCHEWABLE, ivermectin product (Heartgard). Chewable products are not recommended, as the manufacturer cannot assure that the ivermectin is uniformly distributed. When the chewables are broken in half for animals five pounds and under, they could potentially receive the entire dosage, OR may actually receive none of the product at all.

Ferret heartworm treatment is not generally attempted due to high mortality resulting from dead worm fragments blocking vascular pathways. Supportive care with diuretics, cardiac drugs, or anti-inflammatories may provide some relief.
THE SICK FERRET

There are a few things that make a ferret exam unique:

A) Any sick ferret, regardless of the cause of its illness, is prone to hind limb ataxia! (Ataxia means a wobbly inability to coordinate a walk. Some people also confuse this with paralysis, and some unknowing veterinarians have actually put ferrets to sleep for this "paralysis", believing it to be indicative of a spinal fracture).

Some examples of common causes of clinical signs are:

VOMITING- foreign body, adrenal tumor (especially if 3 years old or older), gastric ulcers (common with adrenal problems), intestinal lymphosarcoma, insulinoma, and mastocytoma.

HAIR LOSS- in the fall, can be normal in some geographic regions to have a bald ferret TAIL; however, if it extends to pelvis, and the skin is shiny and thin, THINK ADRENAL TUMOR!

SWOLLEN VULVA- an unspayed animal (which will become anemic and die if not spayed or bred) , or adrenal tumor.

DIARRHEA - dietary indiscretion, parasitism, or a concurrent diarrhea secondary to a primary illness allowing fasting periods (i.e., insulinoma and many others).

WEAKNESS/FATIGUE - insulinoma, or hypoglycemia secondary to vomiting, anemia, or any process causing decrease in appetite.

ANEMIA- fleas, fleas, fleas! Also, gastric ulcers, hemorrhagic colitis, acute blood loss.

COUGHING - viral diseases (ferrets are one of the few species that catch colds from humans, and they also get the canine kennel cough virus) pneumonia, heartworm disease, congestive heart failure.

B) Ferrets never complain, and by the time they show clinical signs, their problem is generally much further along than an owner will realize. Take all complaints seriously!
IS A FERRET FOR YOU?

All future ferret owners need to be aware of a couple of "ferretisms" before they decide a ferret to be their next pet:

A) The statement made by the pet store staff that a ferret can be trained to use a litter pan "just like a cat," is a not-so-funny joke! This is, in my experience, the primary reason so many ferrets are turned over to fostering organizations. Most ferrets will use a litter pan when caged, but when on the move in the house, don't get your expectations high. They are much too busy to traipse all the way down the hall to the litter pan, and they are going to the closest corner. Put papers in the corners, and expect to clean up after playtime. Watching the play is well worth cleaning the papers up later!

B) Expect, and prepare for the inevitable exploratory/adrenalectomy at 3 years of age. Don't wait until it happens to try to find the money to save your great pet! You have 3 years to put away a surgery fund. If you already know you won't be able to save $350-500 in the next 3 years, DON'T BUY THE FERRET!

Sue A Whitman D.V.M.
8262 Switchboard Road
Spencer, Indiana 47460
812-876-0711
Emergencies call above number.