Lethary, Weight Loss & Tooth Grinding

Question
We have a ferrett that is 7 yrs old.  In the last month, he has become very lethargic, weak and has a noise when he eats.  Somewhat like when you grind your teeth.  He seems to eat normally, as well as poop normally, but he seems to be very weak and lethargic.  Any suggestions as to what may be going on??

Answer
Hi Missy:

Ferrets do actually grind their teeth when they have a tummyache.  Maybe you are only noticing it when he eats,but I would suspect that your ferret has some type of stomach problem, stomach upset or other - but he definitely needs to see the vet for a definitive diagnosis. He is telling you that he is in PAIN, so please don't ignore his pleadings for help.

The weight loss in a ferret ALWAYS means there is *something* going on that needs a vet's opinion.  When ferrets start losing weight, they can quickly go downhill and die if they don't receive PROPER treatment QUICKLY - it's definitely nothing to mess around with.

You might want to check him for dehydration by pinching up the skin on the back side of his neck and lifting it a few inches, then let it go.  If it snaps right back down flat, then he is okay; if it stays up kind of like a short tent, then he is dehydrated and really needs to be seen as an emergency in any 24 hour pet emergency clinic and ask them to give him fluids sub-Q (under the skin). A dehydrated ferret should receive about 75-100cc of lactated ringers, depending on the size of the ferret. Dehydration will kill a ferret faster than whatever is going on is his tummy. Sometimes the best we can do is give them supportive care to get them thru until they can see their regular vet on Monday. Keeping him hydrated is part of that - if he is dehydrated, there is no way you can make him drink enough water to replenish his body enough to make a difference - he MUST get is sub-Q.

For his tummyache, until you can get to the vet (the small hard ones, not the new chewables), you can take one Pepcid AC tablet, use a syringe with no needle on it and add 10cc of water to it; allow it to dissolve completely (you can help it along with a spoon :-)  then give him .5 (that's one half) of a cc every six hours. That will help keep him comfortable until you can get him in to the vet, but he really needs to see an exotics vet for a diagnosis and proper medication.

You and your little one are in my thoughts and prayers. Please write back and let me know what the vet says, okay?

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers