Possible abcessed tooth, or something else?

Question
QUESTION: Hey there!
I got a new ferret a few months back and when I went to pick him up the people had taken very poor care of him and as a result his teeth are all in very bad shape. They're all very discoloured and he even has bad breath.
We went to clip his nails just now and noticed he had a large bump just above his nose but a bit more to the left side. It's not an open sore on his nose, but after looking in his mouth, it looks as though his gum has split open/developed some sort of growth and his bottom canine tooth seems to be digging into the "hole" whenever he shuts his mouth. There doesn't seem to be any pus or anything though. Whenever I lift his lip he grumbles and makes all kinds of noise, but the bump on the outside doesn't seem to hurt him. I'm thinking it's an abscessed tooth, but I'm not positive. My other ferret has always been very healthy and I've had her since she was a kit, so I'm just not sure what to do..
Is there something I can do for him to maybe stop him from digging that tooth into the hole when he shuts his mouth? It's almost 1am, so it's going to be a while before I'm able to get him to the vet.
Do you think it is an abscessed tooth or what?
I'm kind of worried, it looks really bad..

Thanks for your help! (:

ANSWER: Hello Shawneen,

There are a few things it can be.. the two most common is a mass or abscess.  Your vet would have to take a look at it to figure out exactly what it is, but regardless it will need treatment.  It is undoubtedly painful and he probably has difficulty eating with his tooth digging into his gum like that.  Also, there is a possibility that an infection can spread into his sinuses, which would be very bad and he will need antibiotics as well as pain medication.  

You can try to find an emergency clinic tonight, but having ferrets seen on an emergency basis is difficult.  You can try to call you vet now, since some of them have an answering service that might be able to tell you where you can go to have him seen.  If they do not know, try calling some ER clinics in the area.  You can also try a school of veterinary medicine, although there are only 28 in the USA so one may not be near enough to drive to before morning.  Vet schools generally have 24-7 clinics willing to see exotics, but call ahead just to make sure someone is available first.  

If you cannot find someone tonight, make sure he is eating and drinking.  Ferrets decline very quickly without nutrition from their high metabolism and need meals frequently.  If he will not eat, try to grind up some of his food and mix it with water to see if a gruel might work better (chewing may be painful).  Try to add some ferretone or nutrical to it to make it a bit more enticing if you have any.  If he still will not eat, syringe feeding him small amounts every few hours just so he has some nutrition until you can get him to your vet in the morning.  Also warm the gruel a bit (but not hot) which might make it more appetizing.  Also, do not forget to follow it with a bit of water in the syringe so he does not become dehydrated.  An adult ferret will eat about 100 mls in a day and drink about the same amount, just so you have an idea.  (note, there is 30 mls in a fluid ounce)

I hope this answer helps.  Please have him seen ASAP tonight or first thing tomorrow.  It would be best to try and figure out what is wrong with him now.   

As a side note, poor nutrition in his past (such as a complete meat diet) can cause strange bone deformities of the face and mouth.  It has to do with an imbalance of phosphorus and calcium called secondary hyperparathyroidism.  It is the reason why it is not a good idea to feed only beef for dogs for example with no other substitutes.   Animals need balanced diets to maintain the appropriate levels of vitamins, essential minerals to stay healthy.  This senerio is a bit less likely in your situation.   Your ferret has been with you for the past few months and better cared for now, but it is something to consider knowing his past.  

Best of luck, and please let me know how this turns out.  

-Cindy P

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Do you mean mass like cancer? Hopefully it's just a tooth problem.

Well, we live in Canada, so we probably wouldn't be able to get to an ER clinic in the US by morning. haha.
We called a vet before in the middle of the night because he was acting  weird and his one side just wasn't working, but then an hour later he snapped out of it. That was about a month ago.
When we got him, I tried brushing his teeth once a week and slowly moving up to every couple days but it never made them look any cleaner/healthier.
I'll try what you said about making a gruel. The last time we saw him eating hard food was probably around supper time, but he's been asleep since, so we didn't think anything of it.
The people who had him before us, had him living in a cardboard box under their shoe rack believe it or not! So, I wouldn't doubt that he had a poor diet.

Thanks again!
Shawneen

Answer
Hello again,

Yes, there is a possibility that what you see may be a tumor.  It is something that needs to be considered and ruled out by your vet.  Abscesses usually are soft and filled with pus, but given the area, it might react with a firm-feeling lump.  It is still not beyond a possibility that his old diet might have something to do with this strange swelling.  

Have you brought him to the vet yet?  Since this has probably been going on for a while before you noticed, as long as he is eating and drinking it probably is not a dire emergency that needs to be seen this second.  It might be painful though, which is another concern.  Try to have him evaluated before the weekend, since it is nearly impossible to find anyone on Sat or Sunday who will see him if he become worse.