Teeth Grind/Wild Behavior

Question
Hello Emilee!
My male ferret is acting funny lately. First thing I wanted to address was this grinding noise he makes while eating. Its when he's chewing- not when he's sleeping. He always makes it, and has made it since I got him a few months ago. Is that an issue?

Also, he has been acting hormonal and frisky lately. He has been scruffing my two girl ferrets and pinning them down. He appears to be biting their lady-parts as well. He is between 1-4 years old (previous owner didn't know age)and has recently picked up this aggressive behavior. Is it maybe the season change?


Thank you!
Karin

Answer
Hello Karin!

For the first part of your question - teeth grinding *generally* means that the ferret has an upset tummy, which could signify an intestinal blockage or an ulcer, or other stomach issues like maybe an allergy to the food. That being said, both of my boys have been grinding their teeth since I got them, only while eating. I've tried different foods and taken them to the vet several times to have them checked out and they check out fine. It must just be something strange my little guys do. Have you noticed any change in stool or anything? Does his belly seem tender? I would suggest having a vet check him over just in case it is something. Don't want to take any chances and you may want to have a vet check him out anyway, which leads me to the next part of your question.

How long have you had him? What I mean is, has he been around your female ferrets long? I just ask, because that might be pretty normal behavior if they have just been introduced because the pecking order would need to be established. However, if they haven't recently been introduced, you're going to want to take him to the vet and have him checked over because behavior like that might signify adrenal disease, which is when a tumor grows on the adrenal glands, causing hormones to run amok and sexual aggression is a result, even in fixed ferrets. Another reason I would suggest a vet check-up is the fact that you were never told his real age. If he is around four, adrenal disease is an unfortunate distinct possibility. Another sign of adrenal disease is hair loss, generally starting at the base of the tail and progressing. Here is some more information on it:

http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/ferrets/a/ferretadrenal.htm

I hope this helps, and if you have any other questions, or have difficulty finding a ferret friendly vet, please don't hesitate to ask. It is important to find a vet that deals with ferrets on a regular basis and has performed surgery on them regularly as well. As I said, if you have problems with it, I can try and point you in the right direction!

Good luck,
Emilee Andrews