my baby is acting strange and had hair loss.

Question
QUESTION: Loki(age 2 1/2)atleast i think?i got him from a bad situation.orginally i bought 2 ferrets but my former roommate took aries when she moved out.should i get him a new playmate/little brother?his cage is 4&1/2ftx2&1/2.(but his living space is an entire house we dont limit him to the cage.unless he is attacking a guests feet.about a week ago he came up with fleas(we dont know where from.he is the only pet in the house.)and he started having a little hair loss(from scratching i assumed)i got his fur to start growing back.but now he is acting kinda lathargic.he will only hop/run about 3feet.then he lays down and breaths hard.he was staying at my boyfriends.and we went out of town.for one night.when we got back.i opened his cage to let him out to play and he wouldnt come out!for about 3 days he refused to leave his cage.we let him roam the house anytime he wants.and i normally wont leave him alone more than an hour.could this just be his fleas(still working on it)and depression?or maybe heat?i keep the a/c on but on low should i turn it down/up?we did find under the coach in his favorite hiding spot a little poop.wondering if mold could have had an effect on him?found some.i just recently(about 2 months ago)brought loki to my bf's.he seemed to like having more running room.(the whole house 1bedroom/living room/kitchen/bathroom)i moved everything out of his reach on top of shelfs in cabinets.or out of the house.we have bought him new toys.my bf's little bro(14 i watch him to be on the safe side)and us spend a few hours seperately with him everyday.and then all of us spend time with him together.he has a bath once every 2 weeks(per what his old doc told me)and i take his cage apart and clean it/rearrange it once a week.i buy food from walmart(we live in como ms not many other choices.and that also means no vet that knows diddly about ferrets.i'm worried about my little guy and wondered if i should take him to memphis to find a vet??or if you could give me some tips.please help with whatever advice you can think of?we would much appreciate any and all help or suggestions!thank you sincerely from all our family.

ANSWER: 99% of ferrets do better in groups. But I would not add to your current ferret until his issues are dealt with.

The fleas need to be treated as soon as possible. Unlike dogs and cats fleas can be fatal to small animals. I would have your vet prescribe Revolution for kittens in the appropriate dosage. This could be contributing to the lethargy and hair loss. The type of flea treatment you are currently using could be causing issues as well depending on what you are using.

Mold can affect ferrets if it is breathed in or eaten.

A ferret should only be bathed when necessary or when introducing a new ferret. Ferrets are like cats and pretty much keep themselves clean. Too many baths dry out the skin making the ferrets body work harder to produce more oils which leads to a smelly and itchy ferret. My ferrets are bathed twice a year unless they get into something.

If the home is above 80F I would turn the air conditioner up to cool it off some.

I would definitely get him to a ferret vet.
If this is the one in TN then this is a great vet!
Dr. Carolyn McCutcheon, D.V.M.
Park Avenue Animal Hospital
3734 Park Avenue
Memphis, TN
901-458-0863 800-348-4544

The walmart food is not appropriate at all. This could be a huge factor in his lethargy and hairloss as well. Ferrets are obligated carnivores meaning they need a meat only diet. Commercial kibble doesn't offer this so it needs to be as close as possible. The Walmart food has very little meat if any at all. This food can make ferrets very sick very fast if kept on it too long. My newest ferret was fed this and lost all of the hair on his stomach and legs. I put him on my other ferrets foods and now his hair is fluffy and all back. I have 0 pet stores near me and have had to resort to ordering online. It isn't too bad especially if you only need to feed 1 or 2 ferrets.

Here are some food charts to show you exactly what foods are good and what foods are bad and why.
It is advised to feed a mixture of 2 or more foods for a more complete variety. And in case you end up not being able to get one of the foods there is always the fall back food that your ferrets digestive system is already accustomed to.

I personally feed
Drs. Foster and Smith Natural
Totally Ferret Venison
Zupreem
EVO Ferret
and
8in1 Ultimate Crunchy (the crunchy is the only 'good' variety of 8in1)

http://www.mdferretpaws.org/care/food_treats.html
http://home.att.net/~ferretfriendsofpgh/foodchart.htm
http://www.hofa-rescue.org/health/documents/care/FoodChart.pdf
http://www.ferret-universe.com/care/food.asp
http://ferretmagic.tripod.com/foodlist2.html
http://members.tripod.com/Ferret_Luv/foodchart.html
http://miamiferret.org/diet.htm
http://www.destinyink.com/spyral/animals/ferrets/ferret_nutrition.html

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

QUESTION: we have found out from the doctor(vet)that our little guy has been exposed to some kind of chemical or poison.the vet couldn't tell me anything more than a poison possible rat poison or some other chemical/poison of that kind.so i am wondering if it could be one of the following.b/c powder,sergeants flea spray for cats,hartz flea spray for upholstery and furniture,the equate formula for allergy's,the equate formula of nite quil,or adhesive transfer from vinyl(we do car graphics wraps and signs)or any cleaning products maybe.nothing is down where he could reach it.(we keep it at the other house on the property.)but i am wondering if maybe transfer or him being in the house while i scrubbed my boyfriends bathroom(fumes)?i just don't want to bring him home and him get sick again.i want to keep him happy and healthy like he always was till recent.:>(

Answer
I strongly suggest throwing the Sergeants and the Hartz flea spray as far as you can those along with BioSpot have had major reports of causing death in many pets.

Ferrets have very sensitive systems anything different can cause a serious reaction. Any of the things you listed (aside from very small doses of the allergy medication) could cause severe damage if the ferret has ingested any of it.

Cleaning product fumes can make a ferret ill. You have to be very careful what he is exposed to when cleaning. I usually put my ferrets in another room with a closed door when I am using something that is strong. And I only clean the cages with vinegar then peroxide and rinse it off.

Is he at the vet being treated?
Did you vet give any kind of treatment? (like charcoal (without the cathartic due to the diarrhea)
Did the vet give you any kind of treatment instructions if they did not keep him?