Rectal bleeding and Temper

Question
I recently bought a 4 mo. old female ferret. At first she was wonderfully behaved, but now she has a horrible temper. She has been attacking anything plastic, and when I try to take it away, she starts hissing, screeching, and then freaks out, when I get it away she tries to bite me. Also she has been bleeding out of her rectum on and off for 2 days, only a little bit here and there, and her rectum is sticking out kind of far. Is there cause for concern about these two things? And what can I do about it?

Answer
Hello Kari.  How recently has this bad behavior started?  I am wondering if the two have something in common.  Discomfort or pain can often lead to such outbursts.

I have another question for you that might better help me advise in this matter.  Look at her bottom closely.  Is the bloody discharge and swelling coming from her rectum or vulva?  There are several reasons why I ask.  First, she is young.  Being a ferret she was most likely spayed before she was shipped to the pet store.  BUT, sometimes tiny pieces of the ovaries are missed during the surgery.  This will cause her to go into heat, which is my main concern.  If this is the case, she could die of aplastic anemia.  This is one of the reasons why all ferrets are fixed, since a female in heat who is not bred can die due to the lack of red blood cell production.  

Luckily, if this is the case, a hormone injection by your veterinarian can avert the risk of aplastic anemia.  She can then either have surgery to remove the remaining ovary or continue to have injections for every heat cycle.  Surgery might not be an option, since the pieces that remain are so tiny that it might not be possible to find them.

aplastic anemia information:
http://www.waterloowest.com/articles/ferrets3.html

Bleeding from the rectum is another issue entirely.  It could be anything from a minor GI upset to a foreign body.  One thing you can tell is the origin.  Is the blood bright red, or black and tarry?  Black and tarry stool means that the blood has been digested and is from the upper GI tract that includes the esophagus and stomach.  Bright red blood is usually from the colon or lower GI tract.  Regardless, it should be evaluated by a veterinarian to determine the cause.

Regarding her behavior, it is important to decide if it is from pain.  If the the change was recent, it it more likely due to discomfort than a behavior problem.  I can not rule out the possibility that she needs some training.  Once the source is determined, I can certainly advise you with some tips!  Let me know if you need them.

I would recommend a quick checkup with your vet.  They would be able to diagnose what is going on with your little girl.  Although the bleeding/behavior might not be life threatening, there is the possibility of something more serious brewing.

Please let me know how this turns out.  Best of luck, and let me know if I can help you with anything else.

-Cindy P.