why isnt my ferret growing?

Question
my brother and i adopted baby ferrets about 5 or six months ago as 8 week old babies. my brothers ferret is the runt of the litter and my ferret was somewhere in the middle of the litter but in the last few months my brothers ferret hasnt seemed to grow that much while my ferret grows normally.i have gone back to go look at the baby ferrets the store has every few months that are the same age as she was when we got ours and she isnt to much bigger than them. i also feed them all the natural harvest ferret food they want and my ferret has gotten somewhat fat while when i pick her up i can still feel her ribs. i have sepersted them to eat thinking maybe he was just eating all of it or dumping it whn he was finished which he has done after every meal but she isnt gaining weight. she is very playful and is let out probly 4-5 hours aday and seems fine but i dont know why she isnt growing. they have both been fixed and descented and have had all of their shots.  

Answer
Hello Crystal,

I have two boys and a girl at home and my boys have always outweighed my girls, even when they were kits. At her last vet visit, she weighed in at just less than a pound. She has always been petite. Ferrets that are spayed and neutered at such young ages, such as Marshall ferrets (or other ferret mill ferrets), don't grow to reach their maximum lengths and weights very often. Plus, she is probably growing more than you notice, but since it isn't as rapid as the growth the boy is going through, it isn't as noticeable. Its okay if you can feel her ribs, but you shouldn't be able to see them. If you can see them, then this little girl needs to take a trip to the vet, but if not, then she should be just fine. If you need some help finding a vet in your area, then let me know and we'll try to find you one.

I hope this helps, and if you need anything else, please don't hesitate to ask.

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews