ferrets

This is a quick divergence from the “nursing sick and post-op ferrets” topic. Someone searched for information on why their 8 year old ferret was walking sideways.

Okay, the first thing that comes to mind is … take it to a vet. NOW! But truthfully, ferrets never do these things during normal business hours, and going to an emergency vet could easily end up costing $500 to $1,000 (or more) and the ferret could end up dying anyway. For a young ferret, I’d do it, but for an 8 year old ferret at the end of its life … that’s not so clear.

If your ferret is walking sideways, staggering, drooling (chin is wet), very lethargic and doesn’t move much, the first thing I’d think of was low blood sugar. Rub something sweet (honey, pancake syrup, corn syrup, jelly, Ferretvite, etc) on their gums if they’re not responsive. If they are able to swallow, give them something  sweet to drink. Super-sweet iced tea is good since many ferrets like tea. Regular Coke, Pepsi, fruit juice, etc. also work if the ferret likes them. NOT diet soda, obviously, since diet has no sugar.

Let them drink/eat as much of the sweet stuff as they want. Give them a drink of water. If, in 10-20 minutes, they’re acting much more normal, then it was most certainly low blood sugar.

Low blood sugar is most commonly caused by insulinoma. It can also be from diarrhea, liver disease, or anything that makes them nauseous. If they don’t eat, obviously they don’t have any “fuel” and could have low blood sugar. In a young, healthy ferret, not eating doesn’t usually cause low blood sugar. The liver causes glucose to be released into the blood stream from reserves in the liver. In an old or sick ferret, the ferret’s body may not be able to do this.

If your ferret has an attack like this, it definitely needs to be seen by the vet asap. If you can manage to keep it comfortable by feeding it something sweet (always followed by a high-protein meal like chicken or turkey baby food to prevent another sugar-crash), you can get it there the next morning. I wouldn’t wait more than 24 hours to get it to the vet’s office.

If giving the ferret something sweet doesn’t help, you have a much more serious problem. If it’s a young ferret, you need to take it to the emergency vet. If it’s an old ferret at the end of its life, consider having it euthanized if it’s uncomfortable. A “water shot” (subcutaneous fluids) often helps a lot … I think all ferret owners should have the skill and equipment to do this. Some vets disagree. If you have an old ferret, you really should be able to do this. If not, you’re going to either spend a lot of money at the vet’s office or your ferret isn’t going to last as long as it might.

If the ferret does have insulinoma, the normal treatment is a water shot, something sweet to boost the blood sugar level, a high-protein meal to balance it out, and a prescription of prednisone (if it’s an old ferret, prednisolone is better because it bypasses the liver).

I hope the person found some helpful information somewhere online. My ferrets like to do things like this at 2 o’clock in the morning on a holiday weekend. It’s helpful to know what you can do yourself and what needs a vet asap.

Definitions:

High-protein meal. Chicken or turkey babyfood … the kind that just has meat, no noodles or vegetables. I warm it and add a little water or Pedialyte (unflavored) to make it like a thick broth. The sicker the ferret is, the thinner they like it. Save unused Pedialyte by freezing in ice cube tray and storing in plastic bag in freezer until you need it.

Blood glucose = blood sugar level. That’s how much glucose is in the blood stream available for the ferret to use. Low blood glucose, often abbreviated as BG, means it doesn’t have enough energy to think, move, keep warm or run its organs. Severe low BG can result in seizures (often accompanied by screaming), coma and death. If a ferret can’t swallow, rub something sweet on the gums. It’s absorbed right through the mucuous membranes of the mouth. A water shot with glucose in it works even better.

Water shot = subcutaneous fluids = sub-q fluids. This is sterile IV fluids injected under the skin to form something like a “camel hump” of fluid. Fluids can be saline with other additives like glucose, electrolytes, etc. DO NOT try to give a water shot using sterile saline solution that they sell for people with contacts. It has to be the correct balance or you’ll make matters worse. Injecting something under the skin that isn’t sterile will only give the ferret an infection in addition to the problems it already has.

I’m planning on doing another article soon on dehydration, which often comes with low BG.

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