Chloe

Question
My ferret has been shaking alot lately when you pick her up and she has been biting at her stomach also - we do not have outdoor pets so i don't see where she could get fleas and does not appear to have any.  i am concerned but was not sure this is my first ferret.  she will stop trembling if you put her back in her cage and take her out about 5 minutes later.  as for the biting i am worried it is something inside her stomach and her stool looks fine and she has Plenty of them.  I am not sure what to look for and i tried looking up different health issues and none of these symptoms come up?

Answer
Hi Tina:

I'm sorry to hear you are so worried about Chloe. I hope it's nothing serious. Of course, the only way to know for sure is to have her checked over by a vet who specializes in ferrets.

It is not uncommon for ferrets to shiver occasionally. Has there been anything happening in your home that would upset her (arguing, moving, another ferret died, etc?) Also, you don't say where you live - is it beginning to get cool there?  Is her coat nice and fluffy?  

Sometimes ferrets shiver just because they are a little chilled - try holding her wrapped securely in a little blanket or your pajamas or something similar and see if she still shivers. Maybe she is just feeling insecure. If holding her firmly to your body with a blanket doesn't stop her shivering, it's probably not insecurity or that she is cold.

Is she eating well? You did say her stools are plenty firm and there are lots of them, so that's a good sign. It is possible she has a touch of the flu. With school just starting, young children bring home all kinds of viruses that ferrets can get too. Be sure everyone handling your ferret washes their hands before handling her and that will cut down on her illnesses.

If she does this more than 4 or 5 days (in case it's the flu) and does not stop shivering when you hold her securely with an extra blanket or sweatshirt (and pet extra blankies or sweats in her cage to snuggle down into also), then I would recommend you take her for a checkup at the vet.  It's not unusual for ferrets to bite their bellies even just as a nervous habit, but if she continues, bites hard or continually in one place, it really could be that she has a pain there, so checking with the vet really would be the best just to be safe.

In case you don't already have a ferret vet in your area, here are some lists of ferret vets that have been compiled by other ferret owners. Hopefully you can find one in your area:

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

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)

VET TO VET HELP: (procedure videos & phone consultations)
* http://www.westendanimal.com   Dr. Deborrah Kemmerer *order medical procedure videos (vets)
* http://www.bradleyhills.com   Dr. Charles Weiss - *does vet to vet telephone consultations for a fee*
* http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html   Dr. Bruce Williams *pathology only* http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
* http://www.lbah.com/404.html      Long Beach Animal Hospital

Hopefully it's just that she is chilled, has a virus, or needs more cuddling with blankies to help her feel secure and warm. Be sure to add more blankies to her cage for her to snuggle into now that fall weather is approaching.  If she continues in this behavior OR if she does anything else that appears to be unusual or different than usual, be sure to either write again or get her to a vet, k?  She could be having pains in her tummy and there's no way you or I could know that, but a vet can listen with a stethoscope and palpate the area (feel around her tummy) and sometimes even feel if there is a small hairball, tumor, or something that could be causing her pain.

I'm glad you're taking such good care of Chloe and you are sensitive to even slight changes. With ferrets, sometimes the only warning signs that they are sick are very subtle ones, so we do have to pay attention to every change from their normal behavior.

Please keep me updated. I hope it is nothing serious.

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers