Breathing problem?

Question
I have a 9 month old ferret who just suddenly sounded like he has developed some sort of breathing problem and its making me really nervous and wondering if its an emergancy Vet visit.

Every once and awhile he'll make this "sucking" in noise and breath in with his mouth. It happens when running around or just sitting in his cage.  

His behavior is completely normal though, he is running around and playing like normal, is still adventurous and is eating and drinking just fine.

What could be the issue? Is it possible that he has a cold and his nose is just stuffy and needs to breathe through his mouth? Or is this something to be really concerned about? Thanks for any help!

Answer
With breathing problems, I always recommend a prompt trip to the vet ASAP to make sure it is not something serious.  It is impossible for me to tell if this is nothing to worry about or something life-threatening.  It is much better to be safe than sorry.  

It is difficult to find a vet to treat ferrets after hours, but it is best to do some calling around to see who is available.  Also, most schools of Veterinary Medicine will see ferrets after hours, and there might be one within driving distance of your home.  It would be best to do a google search for the one nearest you, since you might not find anyone locally to see your ferret as an emergency until the morning.  

On a side note, try to open his mouth and see if anything is stuck in there. It's a long shot, but if that is the case it might be as easy as removing a bit of kibble lodged on the roof of his mouth.  

-Cindy P.