From:
Roger Vaughn
Date: 2002-05-29 08:36:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Hairball & weightloss question
> hairball. My question: could the hairball have been preventing
> thorough food digestion and causing the weight loss? He weighed 3
Yes, it could have. It also could have occupied the space in his
stomach or possible irritated his stomach so that he didn't eat as much.
Ferrets don't usually cough up hairballs the way cats do. Consider
yourself lucky! Often hairballs that large will obstruct the exit from
the stomach completely, causing a potentially fatal blockage.
What you want to do is get some Laxatone, petroleum jelly, or something
similar that is made for hairballs (stuff for cats will work) and start
feeding it to him regularly. An inch strip two or three times a week
will help. When he's not shedding, an inch strip once a week is still
a good idea. Make sure you get a petroleum-based hairball remedy -
Ferretone, Ferretvite, etc. are all digestible and don't help against
hairballs. The pineapple/papaya preparations don't work for ferrets,
either.
If you have the money, it never hurts to have your vet check him out.
He might have a second piece of hairball left in his stomach. I would
say he's probably ok now, especially if you give him the Laxatone, but
I'm neither a vet nor there to see him.
Roger & the Fibonacci Ferts