sick ferrett

Question
I just purchased Zazu about 1 month ago for my daughter, and today we found her lying limp.  She is unable to walk as her legs will not support her.  I have tried giving her water through a syringe, but she chokes on it.  I had a ferret a couple of years ago that died of a hind leg disorder.  Zazu is acting the same way that ferret did.  Zazu is only 6 months old, so I think she is young to be going through the same thing the other ferret had.  She can not even stand at her food bowl to eat, her head just flops in the bowl.  Just yesterday she was out jumping around and being her normal self.  Is it possible something can happen this fast, and what could we do.  I would hate to lose her so soon.

Answer
Hi Nicole,

I am so sorry to hear that Zazu is not feeling well.

Has she been going to the bathroom normally, or have you noticed a decrease in her poops? Have they gotten smaller or thinner? Does she strain when she uses the litter box? Is she drooling or vomiting or pawing at her mouth?

Or are her gums pale? Is she coughing? Is she having trouble breathing?

It sounds to me that she *may* have an intestinal blockage. The other thing I was thinking was *maybe* a heart condition called dilated cardiomyopathy, but that is most common when the ferret is over the age of three. So, it *could* be an intestinal blockage, but the only way to know that for sure is to take her to the vet. Unfortunately, that is the only thing I can really tell you to do. Ferrets hide it when they are in pain. They hide it really well. You won't know anything about them not feeling well until right before it is too late, which means you don't really have time to try anything else. She really has to be taken to the vet right away to be evaluated by a professional ferret veterinarian. If she's not, whatever is wrong might claim her life and I would hate to see that happen.

In the meantime, keep trying to give her fluids until you can get her into see a vet. I cannot stress enough how important it is that she see a vet TODAY. If it is a blockage, you might only have a few hours. Zazu may have to undergo surgery to have the blockage removed. Whatever is wrong with her needs to be corrected by a veterinarian immediately! Here is a list of ferret vets in the U.S., Canada and Europe. I'll just give you everything I have since you didn't mention what area you're from!

VETS CANADA:   
* http://www.ferretrescue.ca/start.php
* http://tinylink.com/?TlVyYKa6e0
* http://www.ferrets.org/Veterinarian_Listings.htm   (British Columbia)
* 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/

VETS  UK & IRELAND:  
* http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ferreter/vetlist.htm

VET INFO/ LIST OF FERRET GROUPS/ CONTACTS IN UK, ITALY, NEW ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA, NETHERLANDS, GERMANY & DENMARK:       
* http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-overseas.html (scroll down page to find the one you are looking for)


I hope you can get Zazu to a vet in time to help her. I'm sorry I couldn't help you more with ways to help Zazu. Please keep me updated on her condition, if you would.

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews