Message Number: SG424 | New FHL Archives Search
From: sukiecrandall@telocity.com
Date: 2002-07-22 20:56:26 UTC
Subject: RE: behavior question
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <19912026.1027371386243.JavaMail.root@scandium>

Author wrote:
> I have a sweet female MF ferret. She lost her cage mate about a year
> ago, but seemed to adjust quite well. She has gone back into heat
> again, she's too old to do the operation and since she's not showing
> signs of adrenal disease, we're just letting her quietly live out the
> rest of her life in comfort. She's not real active, but when she goes
> out of heat, she does become a little more active. She has started a
> weird behavior. She kind of chatters her teeth against the web
> section between our thumb and fore finger. She actively seeks that
> area. Any idea what that means?

Marshall Farms ferrets are spayed; they don't go into heat. Do you mean that she has adrenal disease which causes similar signs to heat like a swollen vulva and fur loss? Certainly, excessive grooming of a person can be a sign of adrenal disease, and that sounds like it could be what you are seeing.

I don't understand your comment about coming out of heat since she is an MF.

How old is she? Age is not anywhere near as much a factor in how well a ferret does with surgery as health is.

If a ferret has adrenal neoplasia but is not well enough to have adrenal surgery then there are two options: Lupron, and (less good but better than nothing) Melatonin.

If you go to FHL archives which are easily searched at
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/
you will be greatly helped with info.

Although I badly need to update it there are links at
http://geocities.com/sukieslist which will also help you.