ferret sick??

Question
We just got our 2 month old ferret about 4 days ago and yesterday he started vomitting.  He's still energetic and wants to play LOTS...and is still eating and drinking and pooping...what could his problem be...why would he be vomiting? He eats a lot could it be that he's overeating?

Answer
Hi and thanks for writing........at a distance and without knowing details or being able to examine your ferret, I can't answer this specifically or with certainty. It could be that he is actually regurgitating instead of vomiting. In any event, assuming that it is really vomiting, this is very serious in a ferret as it could indicate a blockage, which is a veterinary emergency. Do you give your ferret soft rubber or plastic toys to play with? Has he possibly ingested any kind of plastic, foam rubber, pencil eraser....ANYTHING that could block up his intestines? Please bring your ferret to your vet or emergency clinic right away to be examined. It could also be a hairball, but a ferret that young that you've only had for four days........sounds like a blockage to me, and because blockages are fatal within a few days, it is far better to be safe than sorry. Bring your ferret in pronto to be examined. You may save his life.

Here are some web pages to look at on this subject:

www.miamiferret.org/fhc/vomiting.htm

www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ask_angela/vomiting.html

http://www.everythingferret.com/gastrointestinal_disorders_in_ferrets.htm

Good luck and let me know what happens,
DG