can a ferret have allergies?

Question
Can it be possible for a ferret to be allergic to fabric softners?  When I wash my ferret's bedding, I dry it with a sheet of "Bounce. "  He is very itchy and is itching so much, his fur is falling out.  Our vet suspects he's allergic to something...i'm wondering if it could be the fabric softener?  Have you ever heard of such a thing?  I cannot find any information on the internet about this.  

Answer
I wouldn't say that it would be impossible for a ferret to have an allergy.............BUT, the symptoms you are describing to me are classic symptoms for Adrenal Disease (cancer of the adrenal glands).  

It would be very common for a vet who is not a specialist in exotics to diagnose a ferret with these symptoms as having allergies. I have heard this story over and over again over the years. Unfortunately, not every vet is well read on exotics - which would include ferrets.

You can to either of these websites:

http://www.ferretcentral.org .......

and click on 'resources', then click on 'U.S. Vets' and locate your state, then your city (or one close to you)

OR...http://ferrethealth.org/vets/

and you will find vets who specialize in ferrets.  That would be my first and very strongest suggestion - get a second opinion from a vet who specializes in ferrets. It's very important that you do this as soon as possible - the more time goes on, your ferret can become completely bald, the scratching just drives them (and you) crazy - and ultimately, if you wait too long, the disease will spread thru the ferret's body and kill them.   Adrenal disease in ferrets is VERY 'fixable' in the early stages...but it is progressive - the ferret continues to scratch and be miserable and lose his/her fur and the tumor inside the adrenal gland grows and can spread to other organs, so it is very very important to get this checked out as soon as possible.

IF your ferret does have adrenal disease, as I strongly suspect, the sooner you get him in for a surgery to remove the tumor, the better the chances your ferret has of recovering completely and going on to live a full and healthy life.  Here is a great website about adrenal disease in ferrets so you can understand what is going on and what you need to do to help him:  

http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/

My best wishes to you an dyour ferret.  In the meantime, while you're searching out a ferret vet, it certainly wouldn't hurt to stop using the fabric softener and maybe even use Ivory laundry detergent, which is especially for sensitive skin.  

FOR YOUR FERRET'S IMMEDIATE COMFORT:   You can help your little one be a little more comfortable until you can get him to a proper vet by giving him full body rubs with olive oil (or even baby oil) daily to keep his skin moist. You may give him 1/2cc of children's liquid benadryl every 6 hours to help with the itching also.  These are ONLY comfort things - they will not reduce the tumor - they will only help keep the ferret more comfortable until he can get to surgery....things you can do today to help him at least feel better! :-)

I do truly believe that your ferret has adrenal disease and I think after you read up on it, you will agree.  I hope you will pursue this right away and get your little one the help he needs so desperately.  

Surgeries vary in price from one vet to another - I have heard of them as cheap as $200 and as expensive as $1,000 - usually the more adrenal surgeries a vet does and the more ferrets he sees, the cheaper the surgery is because they can do it quicker and have the proper tools, etc.  So, if one vet quotes you a really high price for the surgery, be sure to get a second or even third opinion - just call various ones and ask how much they charge for adrenal surgery on a ferret.  I've known people who went out of town to a cheaper vet and stayed in a motel  for a few days while their ferret had the surgery and during early recovery and still ended up spending less than a more expensive vet!!  So, call around -  and hopefully you can find a vet who will have a good price and a lot of experience too!

Best of luck to you and your little one.   Please be sure to read up on how to make a hospital cage set-up for your baby when he comes home from the vet. They recovery VERY fast, but those first few days its very important that they don't do ANY climbing; that you have special food (Hill's A/D from the vet - warm in microwave and add a little water to make a 'soup'). It's VERY important that your ferret have extra fluids at this time, that he eats and is kept warmer than usual.  He also needs extra love in his recovery days - lots of holding and kisses will help his recovery and you should have your little guy back to normal in no time at all.

Please don't hesitate to write again if there is any way I can help.  I'll be happy to do whatever I can to get you thru this time. It's common in ferrets and the best you can do is read up, find the best vet, and be ready for proper post-surgery care.  I'd love to hear back from you and know your little guy is okay after surgery...even if you don't need any more help - just check in and let me know everyone did okay?  Best of luck!!

sincerely,
jacquie