stuck in wall

Question
We found our five month old ferret today after he had spent four or five days stuck in the wall of our house. (We have since found and repaired the hole where he got in.) He seems amazingly well in spite of the ordeal, and doesn't show any signs of dehydration, is eating and drinking well, and is surprisingly playful. Should I take him to the vet anyway? I hope I'm not missing something. We've had so many miracles happen in our lives this month I don't know what to think!  

Answer
Hi Lesley, yes, you should take him to the vet as ferrets are very good at not showing any pain or discomfort when something is wrong, so there could be something lingering as a result of his ordeal which is not visible or apparent. I would be very surprised if he truly had no dehydration (you can check this by pinching the skin on the back of his neck - if it snaps back to his body quickly, he's ok; if it doesn't, he's dehydrated). When a ferret hasn't had any food or water for that long, he should be examined as a safeguard and I would recommend a basic blood panel as well (it's also good as a baseline with which any future blood tests can be compared).

Keep an eye on his behavior patterns in case they change, even slightly. Good luck -
DG