Ferrret Diarrhea

Question
QUESTION: I got a new baby ferret in october. Her poops were not the normal dark brown I was used to after having my three other ferrets. I introduced them slowly and now the love each other. Over the past few months her poops have slowly gone from shaped to liquid. I have changed her food, gotten a stool sample done [negative for anything]. Nothing has helped. She is eating very well [2.25 pounds at 6 months] drinking water, and still VERY active. What could be causing this problem?

ANSWER: How long ago did you change the food? What food are you feeding and any treats?

Some ferrets have very sensitive digestive systems that cannot handle certain ingredients in food.

Unfortunately, diarrhea is not a diagnosis of a disease, but merely a sign of many different kinds of illness.

There are many many reasons a ferret can have diarrhea from stress, infections, ingesting something they weren't supposed to, inflamed bowels, hairballs, lymphoma, etc.

Did your vet only check the stool?

If your vet has given a clean bill of health recently then I would first ask if he/she has any suggestions on how to stop the diarrhea such as an antidiarrheal medication

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

QUESTION: I was feeding totally ferret active and switched to 8 in 1 ultimate, is that better? I started her on ferret lax yesterday to see if that would help. I dont give her treats really, except the occasional ferretone when nail trimming or chicken baby food every now and then. Should I be worried if she is still eating and drinking? Thet vet didnt find anything wrong with her.  

Answer
Both of those foods are very good foods. Ferret lax has actually been known to cause diarrhea so it could potentially make it worse.

Diarrhea is always a cause for concern in ferrets since it usually means that something is off with them. Make sure she stays hydrated but if it doesn't clear up in a few days I would call the vet and see what he/she suggests.