ferrets urine

Question
Hi,  Im a expert here also.  My question is,I could have sworn I saw my ferret drink her own urine.I least I hope I was seeing things.Is this normal or was I mistaken.

Answer
Tim,
First off I hate the term "expert" when it comes to ferrets.  There is no such thing as an "expert" on ferrets.  !5 years ago I came up with the term "ferret knowledgable".  This has become the accepted terminology.  Anyway to your question.  Ferrets don't usually drink their urine, in fact most animals don't.  If you are certain of what you saw there can be a serious problem brewing.  Usually when any animal drinks their urine or eats their stool it means they feel they are missing something in their diet and they are trying to get it by ingesting their body waste.  If you see this happen again get your ferret down to a "ferret knowledgable" vet.  They will need to run some tests to see what your ferret is lacking nutrition wise.  Let me know what happens.  You can e-mail me directly if you have other questions or need further information on this situation.

                     David