From:
moreferrets@home.com
Date: 2001-04-23 23:50:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Hyperactivity in older ferret
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "Bruce Williams, DVM" <williams@e...>
wrote:
> --- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "Shirley Hewett" <smhewett@b...>
> wrote:
> > Skittles is a 12 year old female ferret who is currently boarding
> with me. She is showing a behaviour which I have not seen in a
> ferret before and that is about 4 times per day she has periods of
> hyperactivity. For about 15 minutes she runs around for all the
> world as though she is searching for something. She runs around
> checking every nook and cranny and will not be distracted by food,
> water, treats, cuddles, best buddy or anything. Sometimes she will
> run around in a couple of circles before starting her "search mode"
> again and occasionally she stops for half a minute or so as if to
> catch her breath. She is deaf and her eyes are a little cloudy but
> she can see. She is eating, drinking and toileting just fine. She
> has the curved tail sometimes seen in older ferrets and her
> muscularity, compared to younger ferrets, is somewhat diminished.
> Her coat is normal and she sleeps well.
> > Her owner indicates that she behaves the same way at home where
she
> is free range, as she is here. This is the third year that she has
> boarded with me and she seems not to be in pain. (how can you tell
> with ferrets sometimes?)
>
hey shirley - when you figure this out let me know! :) my OLD OLD
OLD gal jasmine (in foster care) does this too. in fact, that's
about her day. get up, run her course, snuggle with mom, back to
sleep. interruptions only for bathroom and food, of course. funny,
isn't it? is she senile? couldn't tell you...but i've never had any
impression that jaz is in any pain; rather, she's just "on a
mission." i share dr. williams opinion that whatever it is that
they're doing, it's good to see them up and getting excercise. i've
always interpreted what jas is doing as simply checking the place
out; she doesn't seem worried by what she finds, she just runs the
laps. "damn...time to get up...i'm TOO OLD FOR THIS...let's get it
over with as fast as possible!" hahaha! not much help, am i? just
wanted to let you know i've seen this behavior in an oldster before
and haven't seen anything yet to make me think it's a sign of
anything other than extreme age, which both these gals have lots of,
now don't they? :)