My ferret is making squeaking noises and breathing funny

Question
I just bought a ferret about 5 hours ago from Petco. He seemed perfectly fine while exploring my car on the ride home, however he did sneeze out dirt a couple of times after getting out of the car. My bf and I gave him a bath when we got home and let him run around my bathroom for about half an hour after completely drying him up. At that time he was breathing normally and being extremely active. He sniffed around my floor alot, so I'm guessing he picked up some dust as well. When I put him in the newly set cage, he started to whine ( which i didn't know ferrets can do) because he wanted to get out...and then began making breathing noises as if his nose was congested. Ever since then he has been making those noises occasionally while he's sleeping but does it while he's playing. He is very very active, and his stool looks normal. I use Carefresh as his bedding in the cage, so I don't believe that the bedding is the problem. I've owned a ferret before so I only know that his breathing is not normal, however everything else about him is. What do you believe is wrong with him? How do I go about fixing this problem? Do you think this is temporary because he had been sniffing around my car and my bathroom?

Answer
Hello Helene,

Something to remember about Petco ferrets are they come from Marshall Farms and they have a heck of time getting to you! They are taken from their mothers too early and they go through a surgery that is too early and then they are shipped to a pet broker where they sit until they are old enough to be given to the pet store, where they are fed Marshall's ferret food, which is generally ferret junk food and shouldn't be fed alone! I know exactly how you feel with worrying about your little guy! We just got a new baby boy (from our neighborhood Petco) and he was so frail and little when he came home! We introduced him to Totally Ferret, and he took right to it and he is bulking up quite nicely. We had planned on adopting from a shelter, but when we went to get ferret food, there he was looking at me like, "Where are you going? Can I come with you? C'mon, don't you wanna take me home?" and we did! Like I said, he was quite frail when we brought him home, but he took right to Totally Ferret and he absolutely loves it now!

That being said, he might have picked up a little cold along the way. Ferrets handle the cold or the flu just like a human does. It makes them stuffy, and lethargic, and just generally rundown! I am sure you know what I'm saying! That could be the reason. If you pick him up and put your eat to his chest, do his lungs sound junky? Does it sound like he's having a little phlegm build-up? Does he have any nasal discharge? Is that discharge clear? It could be just a cold, but it could be a more severe respiratory infection. I would suggest, if he is having trouble breathing,  a bit of a salt treatment.

Heat up a bowl of water until it is hot but not scalding, and stir in about a teaspoon of salt. Dip a cloth or a paper towel into the bowl and put it over your little guy's nose and mouth for a minute or two, or as long as he'll deal with it (you should probably be gently scruffing him at this point). I would say at least a few minutes. He will breathe that in and it will, hopefully, open up his nasal passages! Do that a few times a day and it should help him, because it will dry up the mucous and it should help him breathe!

If he still isn't better in a week MAX, then you should really have him checked out by a vet. Let me know if you have trouble finding an exotics vet in your area.

I hope this helps and if you have further questions, please don't hesitate to ask! Keep me updated!


Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews

P.S.

I would just like to add that CareFresh is not a good idea for bedding at all! Throw some blankets, or old sweaters, or even receiving blankets - anything cuddly and snuggly and warm, ESPECIALLY with his little cold going on. He needs LOTS of things to snuggle down into! Ditch the Carefresh and get him some snuggly stuff! Haha!