The best magazine
Reacting to Your Ferret"s Diseases
It is fairly easy to pick up on signs that your ferret has taken ill, as it is usually very energetic and lively.
Due to their high metabolism rates, ferrets are very energetic and this means that if they are sick they will develop symptoms and their health will debilitate quickly.
Thus, when you have an in depth knowledge about ferret's diseases you will be able to pick up on early warning signs and seek treatment quickly.
If your ferret is suffering from a cold he will show typical symptoms such as running nose, coughing, sneezing, suppressed appetite and diarrhea.
To treat this, make sure your ferret has plenty of fluids to drink and be sure to keep a close eye on it.
If despite your best care the cold doesn't subside, you should consider taking it to the vet to ensure that it isn't a serious illness.
The more serious disease types that can hit ferrets are adrenal gland disease, Aleutian's Disease (ADV), insulinoma disease, dental disease, heart disease and cataracts disease.
Adrenal gland disease Adrenal gland cancer affects the ferret's production of adrenaline.
There are some common symptoms of the adrenal gland disease.
Hair loss and behavior change are signs that your ferret is suffering from this disease.
If so, send your ferret to the vet immediately as surgery is the only solution to the problem.
Aleutian's Disease (ADV) In many ways, the ADV's virus is similar to that of HIV/AIDS.
The virus is spread through contact with bodily fluid of other animals, triggering the ferret's immune system to produce too much virus antibodies.
This damages the internal organs.
This disease is very serious and it cannot be immunized against.
There is no treatment for this disease; the best option is to treat the symptoms with drugs.
Heart Disease Ferrets over the age of 4 years are most likely to suffer from heart disease.
If your ferret is experiencing difficulties in exercising and is constantly breathless, you may want to make an appointment with your vet for a preliminary test.
The early diagnosis of heart disease will help doctors to prescribe effective drug treatments, helping to treat your ferret and extend its life.
Insulinoma disease Older ferrets - typically those around the age of 5 - are especially susceptible to the insulinoma disease.
The insulinoma disease happens when a pancreatic tumor forms, causing your ferret's body to produce an excess amount of insulin.
This causes a sharp drop in its blood sugar level, and the consequences can be fatal if left untreated.
The obvious symptoms to this disease are lethargy, seizures or foaming at the mouth.
This disease requires immediate attention, and while there is no treatment for this, proper treatment can be introduced to help extend the lifespan of your ferret.
When looking out for your ferret's health, be sure to pay attention to the mouth areas and the eyes.
Dental diseases weaken and even corrode your ferret's teeth, causing them to break.
Ferrets are prone to cataracts around the eyes, and in the event of so they will need to undergo surgery.
If the cataracts are left untreated, your ferret could go blind.
While this comprehensive list of ferret's diseases may be worrying to any owner, know that with prompt decisions and supervised health care you can minimize the chances of the diseases from happening.
Put in a little more time and effort and your ferret will live a long and healthy life.
Source: ...