Ferrets Rescued From Fire

Question
QUESTION: We recently rescued 4 beautiful ferrets from a pet store fire, two who bite (hard !) and two super sweeties.  The male of the sweeties (Sammy) has it seems to me been getting thinner.  I was reading some of your other answers and am going tonight to get Nutrical and some meaty baby food.  Last night he was stealing ham from my sandwich. It was hilarious, now I am not so sure.... We already had 2 ferrets so now we have a fuzzy family! :) We love all of them... the babies from the fire were in the smoke for up to 12 hours.  The biters and the female sweetie all have a bit of a cough and sneeze now and then, but they are thriving, so I am not sooo worried about them. But Sammy.... He is still playing and very inquisitive and active, but I am not seeing him eat or drink as of today.  Any added advice would be great.  Thanks  Vicki

ANSWER: Hi Vicki:

THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH for opening your home to these precious little ones who went thru such a traumatic experience!  Now you have a housefull!

The chances are very good that Sammy had 'imprinted' on whatever food the pet store had been feeding him. Until you find out what that was, or get him to eat something else, it can be really problematic.  If he was anxious to eat the ham off your sandwich - that's meat and I'd cut some up really small and let him eat as much as he wants - you found something that he likes! :-)  You may have to try several different kibbles until you find the one that he likes - one picky eater out of six, that's not too bad!

Ferrets are "obligate carnivores", so ANY meat is okay for them - no fruits, vegetables, NO NUTS, and especially NO SUGAR for them. If you get baby food, just get the meat-only ones - get chicken and turkey (and maybe Ham, since apparently Sammy may be a ham lover! LOL)  That's a first for me..never heard of a ferret wanting ham before...and I don't think a pig would be natural prey for them LOL.

I am very concerned that they were in that smoke for up to 12 hours.  Hopefully they have all had baths in Johnson's and Johnson's baby shampoo (no tears) by now and had all the smoke residue removed from them.  I hope it doesn't cause them respiratory problems in the future.  When you do take them to the vet, always remind the vet that they came from a fire and had been in the smoke for 12 hours.

I really think that time and just being away from smoke will help them. Hopefully nobody is smoking in your home. If so, hopefully they could do it outside?  Smoke and ferrets really don't mix well and it can really affect them.

It sounds to me as if THEY are the lucky ones!! Best of luck to your fuzzy family and especially hugs to Sammy...


Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers

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

QUESTION: This is my 3rd time trying to type this... Sammy has decided to stop challenging my ability to multitask... appearantly the sight of my hands means food..:-).  He ate a full jar of beef and 1/2 jar of chicken..  Is there a "too much" button or should I judge that?...? He is playing tonight.. so I believe he is better.  Thank you for your quick reply. I do have a couple of other questions if I may?... Is there a specific reason that a couple of our kids have "low hanging" bellies and are kind of thin on the top?  Make you think of a wormy dog sort of. Playful thriving... eating well, just a little concerned. The big boy Bear is thick all the way around, happy little man... war dances constantly... runs up, nips your ankle and runs away! Little snot!   2nd...any tips or tricks for flea control other than a bath and combing... have used seven dust in the bedding and wash every other day... still see them attacking the itch now and then... sometimes out of a dead sleep.. they crack me up!  In one of your other answers you were speaking of A/D... what is that?   Thanks again...  Vicki
ANSWER: Hi Vicki!

Wow, sounds like that little boy WAS hungry! I've seen them overeat until they vomit before, so it was probably good that you cut him off after about a jar....but he needs that at least four to five times a day...so you really are going to want to get him over onto dry kibble. It may be tricky figuring out what he was eating before the fire, but at least we know he won't stave to death in the meantime.  I would suggest getting about three of the top ferret foods (Totally Ferret, 8 in 1 ULTIMATE (only 8 in 1 that is good enough), Marshall's or Mazuri, Sheppard & Greene, even Iams KITTEN (only the kitten one has high enough protein) in the purple bag - there are lots of them available online at The Ferret Store or Ferret Depot. I get mine there and find that the food is much fresher and even with the minor shipping charges, I end up with a better deal and fresher food than if I shopped locally.  I mix all three brands together in a huge tupperware container and then scoop from the mixture until it's gone. The mixture is never exactly alike, as I'll add another brand here or there, so that way they don't get picky and will eat all brands - at least that's what has worked for me. Now that you have six little mouths to feed, I bet it will work well for you too - you can even buy the larger bags and really save by buying online.

For the fleas - I definitely do NOT suggest putting ANY kind of pesticide powder (Seven dust) in their bedding - waaay too easy to lick off and get sick from it. Probably would be a good idea to change the bedding that has that stuff on it, toss it in the washer a couple times before putting back in the ferret cage; meantime clean the cage out really well so there is no residue - it's really hard because that stuff, even if it gets wet, just stays as strong and dangerous for up to three months! Waaay too dangerous to use around ferrets.  I've never had a flea problem here, but I think most ferret owners use Advantage - one tube of it will about treat all of your kids with just a dot on the back of each of their necks. Lasts longer too. Every furry critter in the house has to be treated at the same time tho.  Here's a link talking about fleas and ferrets :  

http://www.ferretcentral.org/faq/part4.html#fleas

I think a lot of times people think ferrets have fleas, but the ferrets are actually scratching for other reasons - sometimes it's just dry skin, sometimes it can be a sign of adrenal disease, especially if they are scratching a LOT and you don't see fleas.

Those dragging bellies you are asking about could be from several things. Maybe it's time for all of them to have a check over by the vet.  It could be just that they are out of shape from being in the cages for a long time and need more out of cage time and active playing.  It could also be that they have the little tubby tummies of adrenal disease....they tend to get very skinny everywhere except their bellies, except there is also fur loss with that usually. It could also be indicative of poor nutrition, if they haven't been on a high protein food that meets their nutritional requirements (only Iams Kitten and the premium ferret foods actually meet their requirements). I've heard of people feeding dog food and table food to their ferrets - all these things can cause real malnutrition problems over time.  As long as they do not have diarrhea and do have energy, they are probably okay, but if you see any diarrhea, loss of appetite or loss of fur or energy, get them to the vet - those are all symptoms of diseases that can be treated and best treated in the early stages.  The Ferret Central FAQ link will give you a lot more information on all kinds of ferret nutrition and diseases, etc.  And, of course I'm always here if you have a specific question.

The Hill's Feline A/D is a canned food used for sick or recovering (from surgery or illnesses) cats and ferrets, and other small carnivore critters. It is very high in protein and very easily digested. You would get it at your vet's office, as it's a prescription.  You can also use something called Carnivore Care or Uncle Jim's Duk Soup Mix (I love that for my girl who has Irritable Bowel Syndrome!) as 'treats' or things to add to your "duck soup" - I love to give my kids a warm 'soup' before they go to bed at night and they always look forward to it. Just remember to keep it ALL MEAT. You can look up "duck soup recipe" online and you'll get a ton of replies - everyone has their own.   I used to give my kids A/D until they got chubby, then I changed them to I/D, which is lower in fat but basically the same thing, and now I've changed them to Marshall's 'Uncle Jim's Duk Soup' because it has helped my little girl's tummy problems SO much!  It has nothing but good nutrients in it. As long as they go to bed with full warm tummies at night, doesn't matter if it's baby food meat or some recipe with a meat base and other ingredients added for ferret health (kibble, egg, etc).

Just in passing, I hope you have all these guys on a Ferretlax or cat laxative of some kind?  Especially with them grooming each other (and themselves) they really need this at least 1" ribbon from the tube WEEKLY to prevent hairballs - it just helps open up the intestinal tract and keep it cleared out. My little boy had an intestinal blockage last year and cost $2,200 for the surgery - there is one place where some really consistent lax can *usually* prevent the problem (especially if your house is very ferretproofed, so they don't get into things that will hurt them).  Check out the FAQ on Ferretproofing at Ferret Central if you're unsure about it - never hurts to double check!

Here's a great website devoted to ferrets where you can learn a LOT (which you're gonna need with six little ones!) :-)  You definitely should get real familiar with this place:

http://www.ferretcentral.org

Also, there is an awesome book called FERRETS FOR DUMMIES by Kim Schilling and it's easy to read, fun and gets right to the point, has an index in the back for quick reference to answer just about anything you can think of.  I recommend that every ferret owner have a copy of this book!

Thanks for letting me know that Sammy finally ate!  I hope you'll get really serious about getting every bit of that Seven Dust out of their beddin and away from anywhere close to them (childproof it away from them! It's that dangerous!!)  I know you want the best for your babies - get some advantage on all the fuzzies in the house, read the article on flea treatments, and the scratching should stop soon.

It looks to me that those little ones had a lucky day when that fire happened....even tho the fire was a horrible tragedy, they sure ended up with a loving mommy!

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers



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

QUESTION: Thanks for the info :) I already have ferretcentral in my favorites.. its just nice to talk to someone too.  We had already removed the seven dust before writing so no need to worry there.  We use laxatone weekly just didnt know to use 1" been using about 1/2" will change that today. The two babies with the bellies were both caged for all their lives before coming here and I have noticed they are more active every day, so I will keep my eye on them, one of them in a cage for almost a year... I was heartbroken.. we had to buy him. These guys come out to play for about 2 1/2 hours a day... by then... they just plop down on the floor and stare at us..Bedtime!  We found out the pet store used Marshalls... gettting some today.  Thank you for all your help... you are in my favorites too!  Vicki
ANSWER: Hi Vicki:

I'm glad to hear the Seven dust is gone :-) and the babies are safe.  I used to give 1/2" of lax weekly also and my little guy had a blockage last year that was only fur buildup (and I give lax religiously!), so the vet said 1" is better and since it really has no ill effect on them, she suggested it as the new 'normal' dosage. Darned surgery was so expensive, I figure as long as it does no harm to them, it is like a really good insurance policy! LOL  

So happy you found out what Sammy is used to eating - and Marshalls is a good food. I still hope you will consider mixing two or three premium foods together for them so they get used to eating a wider selection of foods (you can see why eating only one food can suddenly be a problem if it's not available). You sure found out what he likes for treats too!  Sooo funny he ate that much of that baby food in one sitting!  Bless his heart, him was a hungry boy! I bet he's gonna win momma's heart over in a big way :-)  You certainly have won his!

So glad to be on your list of favorites - don't ever hesitate to write. I am always happy to help you :-)   Have a great 4th of July!!

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers

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

QUESTION: Thank you!  You too!  One last question if I may... Noticed the last couple of days that Sammy will be eating the baby food and then its like he goes off into a trance or something...he.. closes his mouth... seems like he is about to swallow and then leans to the left... what the heck is that? !! He only (that I have seen) does this when I am feeding him the baby food... any thoughts? Thanks Vicki
ANSWER: You can have as many more answers as you need! LOL  The trance-like stare you are describing is often a symptom of a blood sugar problem...but it usually happens when their blood sugar is low and people sometimes have to rub some honey or syrup on their gums to get their blood sugar up enough so they are active again.

You say that it only happens when he is eating, tho - makes me question if his pancreas is working properly.  Keep a watch on that and if he continues to do it, or if it gets any worse, get him to a vet right away - that would be something very important that you really don't want to mess around with, as you can lose them really fast to that.  This could be just an 'early symptom' of something that may progress.......or it could just be a weird quirk he has.  Definitely something to pay attention to tho. Here is a little about low blood sugar, see if you think this is what you're seeing:

http://www.unc.edu/~pjdutche/bloodsugar/


It is ALWAYS a good idea to locate information for a ferret vet BEFORE you need it; just in case you don't already have an exotics vet, here are a few websites to check for ferret vets in your area - the vets listed here were recommended by other ferret owners (just any vet isn't a good idea; you need an 'exotics' specialist if there is one in your area. I used to have to drive 5 hours to ours! It's that important, so hopefully you can find someone here close to you on one of these lists):

http://www.quincyweb.net/quincy/vet.html

http://ferrethealth.org/vets/

http://www.ferret-universe.com/vets/vetlist.asp

http://www.ferretsanctuary       
         
http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-vets.html

The vets listed vary by list, so hopefully one of these lists will have one in your area :-)  (maybe the first one you try, if you're lucky)

Also, there are some GREAT ferret groups online where we share information, pictures of our fuzzies, etc - great place to make friends with other ferret people. Here are a few of those groups that I like:

http://www.ferret-universe.com

http://www.ferretvillage.org

http://groups.msn.com/ferret/

Stay in touch - let me know if I can help in any way...and give me an update now and then if you think of it, k?  I'm so happy your kids got such a good home!  

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers






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

QUESTION: Thank you sssooooo much for all the info... I really respect the fact that you get so many of the same questions and you faithfully and patiently answer them all... you're alright in my book.(non published of course)  Sammy and the gang are all loving their Marshalls again... they ate for an hour straight after I filled their bowls...hahaha poor babies. The gazing seems to have stopped now.  Maybe it was just with the baby food..???  I hate Petco.  My cousin called yesterday and said they had a male ferret that had been returned twice because he is so fat he cant use his back legs and wont play. Makes me sick.. they are trying to sell him again and of course I dont have the money to go get him... rrrrrrrrrrr!!!so  I pray someone will want him no matter what and wont bring him back to be sold again... supposedly he is only about 4 months old, and he is alone in the tank and the vet has given him a clean bill of health.  I hate to sound cold, but I wish she would have never told me that. I wish him alllllll the happiness in the world to come flooding in on him in love and affecttion, care and health hope and a home. Godspeed little one.   On that note.. ttys  vicki
ANSWER: WOW, thank you so very much for all the kind words!  I do appreciate them.

I know what you mean by Petco - we have a pet store here in town that I cannot go into; it's always a heartbreaker. My hubby finally told me "you cannot save the world", because you KNOW I wanted to always bring home the ugly, sick, fat, skinny and just plain dopey ones LOL. (are there any ugly ferrets?  I think I'll take that one back - never have seen an ugly one LOL)  No doubt the little chubby boy you are talking about has had a life in a cage with no "out" time playing and rough and tumbling like little boys should do :-*(

Maybe you should do as I do....first I stay away...then every night I pray for ALL the precious little ones who cannot speak for themselves, that God will watch over them and love them, comfort them, and give them loving homes.  It breaks my heart - I'd like to be *that* person, but it's true, I really can't save the whole world <sigh>.

Hugs to your babies - they are SO lucky to have you for a mom!  Give them extra snuggles and say a prayer for our chubby friend - God will watch over him.....

sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers

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

QUESTION: hello again my friend!
 well, guess what... give up?   chubby found a home just a few days after we last spoke with an older lady who thought he was "wonderfully perfect!"  woohoo!

ready for the next "guess what"?  heehee   i have 4 more new babies!!  a friend of mine  who happens to be the local 5 county federally licenced wildlife rehabilitator...called me on wed to tell me that the exotic wildlife rescue " Safari Rescue" had had 4 ferrets dumped off at their door with only a note stating that two of them were animal aggressive except with each other.  she didnt know what kind of shape they were in, but that they "had to go"   well... off we went!  i was sooooo mad when i saw them!!!  the 2 AA ones both have adrenal disease and the other two were sooo thin i was sick.  they are all about 2 or 3 yrs old and they are SOOO SWEET!  cuddlers! partially because they are sooo sick but also very sweet personalitied.  two were refusing to eat one even gagged and would vomit when attempting to feed her baby food.  Annette suggested a "Slurry" to get them going... so we are doing slurries about every two hours. the two sickest weakest ones ( one with adrenal, the other the gagger) would only tolerate about a ml per hour and a half. the other two are now eating on their own and started playing abit today.  the two sicker ones are now eating about 6cc every two hours and are drinking and using the potty now!  i am not quite holding my breath yet, but i am holding my breath... i almost lost little daisy today though...she was ssooo close i just held her and cried.  i gave her a dose of karo which she barely got down, and a dose of prednisone with about 4\10ths ml of coffee and held her and cried some more.  i finally laid her down and told her if she needed to go it was okay, but i really wanted her to stay.  i closed her door and let her sleep.  2 hours later i went to check on her expecting her to have gone and she lifted her little head and got up and came to me.  of course i cried some more Big Sissy I am!
hopefully she still be here in the morning... we shall see.

Sammy and the crew are doing great.  quite rotten actually! bear still sneezes abit but he is doig well.  they all say HI !   Vicki
ANSWER: Hi Vicki!

So good to hear from you!  It sounds like you are on a very steep learning curve with those ferrets, but WOW what a wonderful ferret mommy you are!   I have never had a ferret with insulinoma (low blood sugar), so you have knowledge and experience in an area that I do not!  I will have to remember to holler at you if I ever need information about low blood sugar.

Oh, you ARE such a softie for the needy ones, just like I am!  It's nice to know I'm not alone in that (sinking) ship! :-)

Please give a hug to the fuzzies for me.  I will keep your little Daisy in my thoughts and prayers. It's so hard to lose one of these; to me it's like losing a baby.  Prepare yourself and know that you can get through it. There are lots of good pet grief websites..if you need them, let me know and I'll steer you in that direction.

Best of luck & special healing hugs to Daisy!

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers

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

QUESTION: Daisy is still here!!   she started eating abit on her own this morning ! YAAAY!  now have to concentrate on Snickers (the gagger) not yet eating on her own but still hanging in there!  I think Hootie and Tuc will be okay. they are the strongest of the 4.  Tuc plays with the Romperroom crew very well, but i keep him with Snickers when he's not playing so she isnt lonely as she heals. She doesnt mind being held, but she would much rather snoop! i wish i could send you a picture of everyone, but they wont hold still!!  i didnt know they had built in trampolines in them there feet!! Should have named them all TIGGER...OOOHOOOHOOOHOOO!  will keep you posted :-)  Vicki

Answer
So happy to hear those little ones are doing better. It's all that love and duck soup (slurry) that heals them. I would LOVE to have a pic of them.  If you manage to get a pic or two, write back and put a check mark in the "Private" box and then when I answer you I can give you my person email address.

Hugs to the babies!

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers