Ferret Vomiting acid?

Question
QUESTION: Hey There-
It seems like my youngest ferret, 8 months old, Amelia, has some sort of stomach bug.  She's not regurgitating food, though- just a clear to yellowish acid type substance.  The first time this happened was last night around 7pm, then again this morning around 11:15am.  both times it was a simple, short episode and then she was fine.  The vomit almost seemed to squirt out of her, though.  

She's always been our "Anxious" ferret- very scared of lots of things.  Our other ferret, 1.5 year old male, Zailor- is the exact opposite.  She's been in the home for about 6 months and they have adjusted, though they still rough and tumble and we watch them closely when they're out together.  

I don't have a car until 5pm, and there's no ferret vets within 30 minutes of here (we were dealing with a local vet until we had serious issues about them lying about giving us ferret-specific vaccines when in reality they were kitten ones, and we only found this out when Amelia had a reaction to the shots)

Any insight would be appreciated!


ANSWER: It sounds like your little girl is vomiting bile.  It could be that she indeed does have a stomach bug, or it could also be that she is a nervous ferret.  One of my girls long ago used to vomit whenever she was stressed, or at least that was my conclusion since there appeared to be nothing wrong with her and she otherwise lived a rather long and happy life.

It might be a good idea to watch her closely for the next few days.  Monitor her eating and drinking habits to ensure she is indeed keeping hydrated and consuming nutrients.  If not, she should be seen by a vet ASAP.  A ferret cannot go for more than 4-6 hours without eating and they can become dehydrated very quickly.  You might want to separate the two so you can watch her food bowl specifically.

Another good idea would be to check her temperature using a rectal thermometer.  A ferret's normal temperature runs about 101-102 degrees F and any more than that is considered to be a fever.

Watch her energy levels closely.  Is she acting normal?  If she has a bit of a tummy bug, she might be a bit lethargic and less playful.  Ferrets are prone to human influenza and some colds so she even could have caught something from you!   As long as she is eating and drinking and has a normal temperature it might be a good idea to watch her for the next few days.  If her vomiting episodes get worse or more frequent or she stops eating/drinking you should make an appointment with a veterinarian.

I am confused about one thing you mentioned.  As far as vaccines, ferrets only get rabies and canine distemper.  There is no ferret specific rabies vaccine.  It is called Imrab3, and can be used for cats, dogs and ferrets.  The only ferret-specific vaccination, a form of canine distemper, is never given to kittens!  Also, never give  both the rabies and distemper vaccines at the same time.  Give one, and then wait 3 weeks before the other.  It might be a bit more expensive this way, but there is less of a chance for a reaction, and if one does occur you will know which one to be wary of and possibly premedicate with benedryl.  

best of luck and keep me posted!

-Cindy P.
E.R. Vet Tech      



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

QUESTION: It was actually Kitten Distemper they gave.  We're driving the 45 minutes to a vet that deals with Otters for the local science center so I know he's at least closer (and also lists Ferrets as animals they deal with- but so did our last one.)

She's thrown up about 5 more times tonight, plus some dry-heaves... this time it was with food (we switched to feeding her duck soup- dunno if this was good or not).
About an hour ago she pooped a good poop with a big green slimy area in it full of hair (I don't get why it's green.. the last ferret she saw was when we bought her this past summer so ECE's out- though I know there's other causes)  Since she pooped that she has been a-okay.  


Your experience as a nervous ferret seemed to hit home!  But, we're still taking her at 9am.  Hopefully it'll be worth the drive!

Answer
That's excellent that you are taking her in for a vet checkup.  It is indeed VERY wrong for you old vet to have given feline distemper vaccines.  I think this new place sounds far more reputable.  

Her vomiting could have been due to the hairball blockage.  Generally signs of a blockage are more pronounced with diarrhea, lethargy and refusal of food and water.    Since it came out in her stool, it probably was only a partial blockage and past quickly before the other symptoms could begin.  Was there any coughing?  Usually that is a clear sign for a hairball.  Since she seems prone to them, keep some laxatone on hand during shedding season and offer it three times a week.  This will help them pass.

It seems like the problem resolved itself, but it is not unwise to recheck with your vet.  Thanks for keeping me posted!