From:
"cinnamon_sprite"
Date: 2009-09-09 02:46:25 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Strange death
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, "lizpuff2006" <lizpuff2006@...> wrote:
>
> I noticed he walked strange but thought nothing of it at the time.
If what you saw was hind end weakness adrenal disease and insulinoma are two possibilities. Of course there are others, though these are the two most common.
> One of the things that I felt was off was his body. He was a normal weight and size, but he was "squishy" I mean when I pick my other two up their bodies are stiff and you can feel the muscles. He was soft.
>
Adrenal disease causes muscle wasting, leaving ferrets with the illness feeling "squishy".
> Another thing was that he was not as active as my other two.
Lethargy is commonly seen with Insulinoma and can be seen in some cases with adrenal disease as well.
> The last thing I noticed was his affinity for the litter box. When in his cage he would constantly lay in the litter box.
This may or may not have been related to whatever caused his death. Some ferrets just like to sleep in the litter box.
> Last night he was fine. He ran around the room with Odie and Minnie and then I put them back into their cage. This morning when I went to wake them, they were all laying on the bottom level of the cage together. Odie and Minnie climbed out but Moose didn't move. That was when I realized he was dead.
>
Ferrets are very prone to cancers, lymphoma (which could also account for all of the symptoms you've described) for example.
It's quite possible this ferret had some form of cancer. As already mentioned, the only way you'll get any sort of answer is through necropsy.
Karen McCabe
http://www.cinnamonsprite.net
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/adrenalferretslist/
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