2-yr Old Ferret With No Energy

Question
my name is conner and my ferret is rocky the problem is he isnt spunky i want him to be jumpy and playfull and tug on my stuff and run and jump around please send back and give me a couple of ideas hes 2 years old and i got him from a rescue home ty

Answer
Hi Conner:

So sorry to hear that Rocky isn't feeling well. About the only thing that will keep a ferret from playing is for them to not feel well; and they have to feel really bad to really stop playing like you're talking about.  Lots of things can cause that - none of them are good news, but some can be fixed by your vet.

INTESTINAL BLOCKAGES are very common - he may have either gotten ahold of a toy, piece of fabric or foam (styrofoam or foam rubber) and eaten it. Just grooming themselves - licking their fur to keep themselves nice and shiny for us to see - can build up a lot of fur in their tummies over time.  Since these things aren't food, their tummies can't digest them and they get stuck in their tummies and can make the ferret really sick - can even die if the vet doesn't do surgery and take the blockage out soon enough.

ADRENAL TUMORS - do you notice any fur loss at the base of his tail? Or on his tail?  Or any other place on his body?  Any fur loss usually means that a ferret has adrenal tumors. These CAN be deadly - but if you have a good vet he can do surgery and remove the tumors and Rocky will be a good as new again in about a week.

I think the most important thing right now is for you to make sure that Rocky gets a good thorough exam from a vet who knows about ferrets - not all vets know about ferrets. Some vets just know about dogs and cats, but some vets are designated as "exotic" vets, which means they know about ferrets, turtles, lizards, and other exotic animals and they have had special training and smaller tools to work with these smaller pets. Since ferret illnesses and surgeries are MUCH different than cat or dog surgeries or illnesses, it's always a good idea to be sure your vet is a "ferret specialist".  If you want to, you can check one or more of these lists and make sure your vet is on it - these are vets that other people who have vets use and they know about ferrets:

VETS CANADA:   
* http://www.ferretrescue.ca/start.php
* http://tinylink.com/?TlVyYKa6e0
* http://www.ferrets.org/Veterinarian_Listings.htm
* http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-vets.html
* http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/sask_ferrets/

VETS USA:
* http://www.quincyweb.net/quincy/vet.html
* http://ferrethealth.org/vets/
* http://www.ferret-universe.com/vets/vetlist.asp
* http://www.ferretsanctuary.com/vets.shtml
* http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-vets.html
* http://ferrethealth.org/vets/

With ferrets, they can go from just 'not feeling well' to being almost dead in just a day or two, so PLEASE, since your ferret is showing symptoms of not feeling well, please DO call and make an appointment AS SOON AS POSSIBLE - LIKE TODAY IF POSSIBLE - hopefully your vet can look him over and be able to tell you what is wrong with Rocky.

Don't forget too - you can call the ferret rescue that you got Rocky from and ask them who they recommend for a vet for Rocky. I'm sure they know somebody who is experienced with ferrets and also reasonable with prices.  I wish you and little Rocky the very best of luck - My thoughts and prayers go with you.

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers