Rapid Weight Loss

Question
My ferret is almost a year old, he is eatting and drinking fine, activity normal,bowel movements normal, no upper resp. inf. he is neutered and descented, he has lost a huge amount of weight in the past 2 months, he was healthy looking but now he is almost nothing but bones, what could it be? i have wormed him many times

Answer
Hi Ashley,

Thanks for writing.  Weight loss is very serious in a ferret, and a ferret that is "almost nothing but bones" needs to see a veterinarian immediately (in fact, taking a ferret to a vet as soon as you notice a dramatic weight loss that isn't related to seasonal coat change is highly recommended). Please don't wait to do this. He could have any number of illnesses, including adrenal disease, irritable bowel, an infection of some kind, etc.  Weight loss is a VERY non-specific symptom.

It may also be the food you're giving your ferret.....I assume you use a high quality ferret food like Totally Ferret, ZuPreem, 8-In-1 Ultimate (only Ultimate - nothing else by 8-In-1 is acceptable), Shepard & Greene, Mazuri, or Path Valley Farm. If you're using ANYTHING but a high quality food made specifically for ferrets, stop immediately and get one of the above brands or another brand that is at least 35% or more of protein, 20% or more of fat, and 2.5% or LESS of fiber. I've seen weight loss issues result because of lousy food. Also, I don't know if you free-feed or not but if you don't, ferrets need access to their food 24 hours a day. Let him/her eat as much as he/she wants to if you're not already doing that.

Get his or weight up fast by using Ferretvite or Furovite paste (available at any pet store) and feeding about an inch long ribbon of it 3 or 4 times a day, along with as much chicken Gerber's or BeechNut baby food as he or she will eat.  All of this is in addition to the normal ferret food (see above).

In any event, regardless of the reason, a nearly emaciated ferret is a veterinary emergency. Please take care of this right away. Worms are rare in ferrets so that would be way down on the list of possibilities. He needs an abdominal exam and a blood test from a ferret-knowledgeable veterinarian if the weight does not respond to the above suggesions within a couple of days. If you don't have one near you, check with the American Ferret Association at www.ferret.org or write back to me and I'll locate one for you.


Good luck,
DG