From:
Diane C. Wall
Date: 2002-02-21 11:42:00 UTC
Subject: Itchy Ferrets
I am not a vet, but I do have six ferrets. One of my brown
sable male ferrets started being extremely itchy and I brought
him to the vets. They did a skin scrape to rule out skin
mites (scabies) and gave him an intervermectin shot. (No
change).
I posted on the digest and someone suggested that change all
the bedding, wash everything with baby detergent (so I could
be sure no perfumes, dyes, or any other irritants) and bath
him in Aveno Oatmeal bath and it helped a bit but not totally.
Try this as a temporary measure and find another vet today.
I should have been more aggressive in questioning the vet who
first saw him, but I was too polite and did what I was told to
do.
He went downhill fast.
I would like to think I am careful with my ferrets, but I
didnt notice until it was too late that his normally pinkish
color nose had turned white, that his pinkish gums and tongue
had whitened also. By the time I got him to another vet who
did blood work, his red count was so low it was a near death
reading and he was anemic. We tried to treat him with
everything we could, but his body was just not producing red
cells. It was heartbreaking to see how much he wanted to stay
with me (he was my first ferret) and I spoon fed him duck soup
until I knew he should suffer no more.
We never did find out what was wrong with him, we guessed he
was one or all of the following: anemic and/or cancer and/or
adrenal (no loss of hair but Itchy is a huge sign!) I was too
upset to even ask for an investigation after his death. I did
contact the first vet who saw him after I received a
reminder card to update his vaccination. They must have
known that they really missed something because they offered
to reimbursement the cost of the second vets visit and an
additional amount to cover the overall loss . It didnt bring
him back, but it did make me know that I should have been more
insistent. I donated the money to a ferret shelter in his
name as I thought of it as blood money . Since it could no
longer help him, I thought it should help other ferrets.
So before you do anything give them an exam yourself:
Even though you have checked them, check them again, look &
feel them from nose to tail and especially-
*Look for any fur missing even if it is thin on the tops of
their feet any thin spots of fur at all anywhere.
*Look at their noses, are they the regular color? If pink is
the nose rosy / healthy looking?
*Look at their tongue and gums (up & down front and back) pink
and healthy looking?
** Get them to another vet! A second opinion or third never
is a waste of time!
** Be an insistent Mommy or Daddy, dont make the mistake of
being polite like I did.
If the vet is acting like you are asking too many questions,
chances are it is because they dont know the answers !
(Thats ok, they cant know everything, just get another
opinion).