Ferret Diseases, Cancers, and Genetic Issues
Pet Ferrets Can Develop Health Problems With Age
Sep 1, 2009
Pet ferrets can suffer from a variety of illness and disease. Proper care, exercise, and diet can do a lot to delay or prevent these problems, but some ferrets will still develop the ailments. Since the risk of death from illness is high, prompt veterinary care is crucial.
Blockages, or GI Tract Foreign Bodies
This is the most common health problem a ferret is likely to develop. According to Dr. Susan Brown in her article on the Ferret FAQ, this is more likely to be an issue in younger ferrets. Blockages can be caused by many things - most commonly chewed or gnawed material, a hairball from ingesting excess hair while shedding, or indigestible vegetable matter.
Ferrets love to chew, but when they swallow things they can't digest, it's very difficult for the animals to pass the objects. Dr. Susan Brown explains that blockages forming in the upper digestive tract can make an animal waste away over many months, but if the blockage lodges in the intestines the animal becomes violently ill within 24-48 hours. Surgery is the only option if there is an intestinal blockage, and the main option for stomach blockages.
Unspayed Females and Blind Ferrets
Aplastic anemia is a problem that only affects unspayed females. Dr. Brown defines it as "a condition caused by high levels of ... estrogen that is produced during the heat period which ... suppresses the production of red and white blood cells." Deaths occur from anemia and infections that the ferret can't fight off due to the lack of white blood cells. It occurs in females allowed to stay in heat for one month or more.
Prevention is simple - a spayed female ferret doesn't have any risk for aplastic anemia. Most ferrets bought from a shelter or pet store are already fixed. Ferrets can also suffer from bladder stones, apparently caused by a high ash content in their food.
Dr. Brown says that a low ash food will keep bladder stones from being an issue. Cataracts are also a possibility, but there is no current treatment for them. Cataracts seem to be hereditary, says Dr. Brown, so ferrets with cataracts should not be bred.
Ferrets Can Catch Contagious Viruses
There are only three viruses that ferrets are known to be susceptible to. The first is the common flu, or influenza virus. They can catch it or spread it to humans, according to Dr. Brown, so flu sufferers should avoid handling ferrets. Canine distemper is another virus ferrets can catch.
Distemper is 100% fatal, and most often caught through contact with the virus during a walk or from the clothing or a person who has contact with an infected dog. There are vaccines for ferrets, but they have some risks.
ECE, or epizootic catarrhal enteritis, is the third of the viruses that can affect ferrets. According to Dr. Brown, ECE is spread through body fluids. Young ferrets tend to survive it easily, but older or weak ferrets can die without proper treatment.
Ferrets Can Develop Cancer
There are four main types of cancer that affect ferrets:
- Lymphosarcoma, affects the lymphatic system. The cause is unknown.
- Insulinoma. According to Dr. Brown it is "a tumor of the pancreas leading to a high insulin production and a low blood sugar".
- Adrenal Adenoma, a tumor on the adrenal gland.
- Common Skin Tumors, mast cells or sebaceous gland adenomas, usually benign.
Lymphosarcoma can only be treated through chemotherapy. Dr. Brown's article explains that insulinoma can be treated through surgery or daily medication. Adrenal adenoma usually requires surgery, and skin tumors are recommended to be removed if they are bleeding or causing the ferret pain.
Bacterial Infections
Helicobacter mustelae infection is a common bacterial infection of the stomach lining, according to Dr. Brown. It can be spread through direct contact, or on clothing or skin that has come in contact with an infected ferret. The infection can be difficult to diagnose, as it has mostly long term effects. A long infection can lead to an enlarged spleen or a gastric ulcer.
Urinary tract infections can also effect ferrets. Swollen vulvas or prostates, due to adrenal disease, are a common cause of these infections, as Dr. Brown explains. Treatment is simple, usually just requiring antibiotics, but underlying causes may mean reoccurring infections.
Ferret Health Issues Often Require Veterinary Attention
Proper care can prevent or slow the effects of these diseases and illnesses, but many of them require medication or surgery. Ferrets should see a specialist vet at least once a year, to catch any of these problems while they can still be treated. Some issues, like bladder stones or blockages, can be completely prevented by proper diet and careful ferret proofing.
Sources:
Dr. Susan Brown's article on the Ferret FAQ.
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