Bacterial infections are among the most common causes of diarrhea in ferrets. Bacteria may infect the stomach, small intestine or large intestine. Helicobacter mustelae is an extremely common cause of stomach ulcers, causing melena (digested blood in the feces) and sometimes diarrhea.
Can I Feed my Ferret human food?
Be sure to check with your veterinarian before you feed your ferret any people food, especially snack foods. Dietary changes can contribute to problems such as upset stomach, diarrhea, and pancreatic problems. In addition, ferrets can become overweight if fed an abundance of high calorie treats or foods. What about water?
What should I do if my ferret has diarrhea?
Dietary induced and stress diarrhea can usually be resolved by offering a basic ferret food, without any additives, and giving your ferret a little time to recover. Hydration is very important if your ferret has diarrhea.
How do I get my ferret to drink more water?
Offer your ferret clean, fresh water in a water bottle and a water bowl. If your ferret has trouble drinking from a bowl or water bottle, try offering water in a syringe or eye dropper. Your vet may also suggest rehydrating your ferret with a tablespoon (15 ml) of Pedialyte every hour or so.
How do you take care of a baby ferret?
Fresh water should be available all the time. You can offer water from a sipper bottle or a heavy crockery bowl that will not easily tip over, as ferrets love to play with and spill their dishes. When you visit any website, it may store or retrieve information on your browser, mostly in the form of cookies.
Is it normal for a ferret to have diarrhea?
There are many different types and causes of diarrhea in ferrets. Relatively common among animals, it can cause loose stool, stomach pains and other gastrointestinal problems in ferrets. Diarrhea can also be a secondary symptom to another (sometimes more serious) condition.
How long does ferret diarrhea last?
If due to a diet change, the diarrhea should resolve after all new food is digested, and should not last more than 12 hours after new food has been removed from the diet.
What can cause ferret diarrhea?
Microscopic evaluations of your ferret's fecal matter may reveal worms, protozoans, parasite eggs, and other forms of intestinal intruders. These problematic parasites often affect the intestinal lining of your ferret and can cause diarrhea. Coccidia is the most common type of intestinal parasite in ferrets.
Why is my ferrets poop Mucousy?
Ferrets affected with proliferative colitis, a condition caused by infection by a bacterium known as Lawsonia intracellulare, often pass frequent small stools largely composed of mucus and fresh blood.
How much Pedialyte should I give to my ferret?
To prevent dehydration, give your ferret a mixture of Pedialyte and water to drink (half Pedialyte and half water) following an initial bout of diarrhea, vomiting or not drinking due to malaise. You should give them fluids that are at room temperature. Very cold, refrigerated fluids can cause your ferret stomach upset.
Can I give my ferret Pedialyte?
Any time the ferret is sick, it is a good idea to give it Pedialyte. If the ferret has diarrhea, you really should give Pedialyte. This helps keep the ferret from getting dehydrated and provides it with electrolytes. (After opening, Pedialyte must be refrigerated and is only good for a number of days.)
Can ferrets get stomach bug?
Eosinophilic Gastroenteritis This condition is relatively common in ferrets. It is an inflammatory disease process of the stomach and/or intestinal tract.
What ferret food is the best?
The 8 Best Ferret FoodsMarshall Premium Ferret Food – Best Overall. ... Kaytee Forti-Diet Pro Health Ferret Food – Best Value. ... Wysong Epigen 90 Dry Ferret Food – Premium Choice. ... Marshall Select Chicken Formula Ferret Food. ... Kaytee Fortified Diet with Real Chicken Ferret Food. ... ZuPreem Grain-Free Diet Ferret Food.More items...•
How can I tell if my ferret is dehydrated?
Symptoms of Dehydration If you have any concerns that your ferret might be dehydrated, be on the lookout for telltale symptoms, like dryness of the gums, stickiness of the gums, weakness, exhaustion, dull eyes, excessive squinting and decreased amounts of urine.
Can ferrets get sick from dirty cage?
If your ferret is smelly, it's likely from a dirty cage, eating a fish-based diet, or is ill. Ferrets should be bathed once monthly, if even that often.
What is coccidia in ferrets?
As previously stated, coccidiosis is caused by an intestinal infection with protozoal parasites. Ferrets may contract these parasites through contact with infected fecal matter or through other airborne particles and contaminants.
How do you treat IBD in ferrets?
Anti- inflammatory drugs currently offer the best treatment. Prednisone is a corticosteroid that reduces inflammation and helps ferrets with IBD; however, it can cause side effects when used for many months. Furthermore, some ferrets do poorly on Prednisone, especially if hepatitis is present.
How can I tell if my ferret is dehydrated?
Symptoms of Dehydration If you have any concerns that your ferret might be dehydrated, be on the lookout for telltale symptoms, like dryness of the gums, stickiness of the gums, weakness, exhaustion, dull eyes, excessive squinting and decreased amounts of urine.
What is ferret poop supposed to look like?
Ferrets poop is long, squishy and usually a strong dark brown or black colour. If it is green, grainy or bubbly then there is something wrong with the ferret's tummy. Sometimes the food is to blame, otherwise, it may be parasites.
What does bloody ferret poop look like?
Black Tarry Ferret Poop You have to have significant bleeding in the stomach for the feces to turn black. The color is the result of digestion of blood, which usually only occurs in the stomach.
Why does my ferret have green diarrhea?
Epizootic catarrhal enteritis (ECE) is an enteric viral disease of ferrets that is caused by a novel coronavirus, designated as ferret enteric coronavirus (FECV). In naïve ferrets, infection results in profuse greenish, mucoid diarrhea with high morbidity and low mortality.
How to keep ferrets from getting diarrhea?
Keeping your ferret healthy is key to preventing diarrhea: Wash your hands after handling ferrets that aren't your own and before handling your own ferrets. Keep your ferret current on vaccinations. Clean your ferret's cage, dishes, and litter box regularly. If you must make changes to your ferret's diet, do so gradually.
Why do ferrets have diarrhea?
If your ferret eats a food that they don't normally eat, then they can develop diarrhea as a result of the dietary change. This type of diarrhea is usually short-lived but it can still be concerning and messy. Ferrets may find food on the ground, steal another pet's food, or simply get a new treat that can cause some diarrhea. Certain foods are also more likely to cause diarrhea in ferrets. Foods that are high in fat or contain a lot of oil are likely to cause loose stools as opposed to food items that are high in fiber or bland.
Why do ferrets chew on things?
Ferrets are known to chew on and swallow small items out of curiosity. Small rubber and plastic items, hair ties, coins, and even hairballs can become foreign bodies. If these items then get stuck, they can also cause an obstruction in a ferret, which is a very serious matter. Diarrhea is a common symptom of a foreign body or obstruction ...
What parasites can a ferret have?
Microscopic evaluations of your ferret's fecal matter may reveal worms, protozoans, parasite eggs, and other forms of intestinal intruders. These problematic parasites often affect the intestinal lining of your ferret and can cause diarrhea. Coccidia is the most common type of intestinal parasite in ferrets. Coccidia are microscopic protozoans that ...
Why does my ferret have loose stool?
This is not uncommon during a vet visit, in a carrier during transport, or after a ferret goes to a new home. Once the ferret relaxes, the stress diarrhea usually subsides , so if that happens, it's a good indication that stress was the reason for the loose stool to begin with.
Can coccidiosis cause diarrhea in ferrets?
These parasites hang out in a ferret's intestinal tract and cause diarrhea, as well as weight loss and other symptoms, if left untreated. A diagnosis of coccidiosis can be made by your veterinarian who will need one or multiple fecal samples in order to run tests to find this tiny parasite.
Can ferrets get cancer?
Cancer. It's a word that no one wants to hear but unfortunately cancer is quite common in pet ferrets. Lymphoma is one type of cancer that can cause diarrhea since it may affect the digestive tract of a ferret, but other types of cancer can also exhibit this symptom.
Potential Causes
There are so many potential causes for diarrhea you’ll actually be surprised it doesn’t happen more often. Sometimes to find the real cause of the problem, you will have to try to ignore the diarrhea and focus on the other accompanying symptoms, if there are any.
What You Can Do At Home
If there’s no cause of concern, you should still withhold food for around 12 hours and then continue with a bland diet to ensure that the pet is 100% back to normal. You can feed it meat-based baby food and give it lots of water. If the ferret doesn’t drink, put some warm water in a container, throw some waterproof toys in, and let the ferret play.
When To Go To a Veterinarian
Don’t wait until things get ugly to go to the vet, even if it may not look very serious at first. If the diarrhea doesn’t disappear in 12h, that alone is a good reason to see the vet.
Symptoms
You should watch for the following symptoms: blood in his stool, blood in the litter box, incontinence, and lethargy.
Causes
Ferrets that are not adequately fed are more prone to developing diarrhea. That’s why you need to provide high-quality food.
Remedies
Now let’s discuss some of the ways to deal with this problem. You can follow these tips for a quick and effective cure.
VERDICT
One of the most critical aspects of providing a healthy life for ferrets is providing clean water. Water bowls should be cleaned regularly so that it remains clean all the time and thus prevents diseases.
Why do ferrets have diarrhea?
There are many different causes for diarrhea in ferrets. It can be due to a poor diet, an adverse drug or environmental reaction, or just an upset stomach. Some of the more common causes for diarrhea in ferrets include: Bacterial infections (e.g., helicobacter mustelae, campylobacter sp ., clostridium sp .) Viral infections (e.g., rotavirus)
What happens if a ferret has diarrhea?
Inflammatory and infectious diarrhea are two serious forms of the condition. They can lead to permanent changes in the ferret's abdominal and intestinal wall lining, causing malabsorption (an inability to absorb nutrients during digestion) and other similar problems.
What are the symptoms of ferrets?
Ferrets with underlying disorders may display such symptoms as anemia, increased serum protein and gastrointestinal bleeding. Some may have abnormally high or low levels of certain blood proteins. Fecal cultures done by the veterinarian may also reveal fungi, bacteria or parasites growing in the animal's stool.
Does diarrhea clear on its own?
For example, food poisoning may require fluid therapy for rehydration; otherwise, this type of diarrhea will generally clear itself on its own. Meanwhile, bacterial, fungal or parasitic infections will require antibiotic, antifungal or antiparasitic medication, prescribed by your veterinarian.
Why do ferrets have diarrhea?
Diarrhea in ferrets commonly occurs when the intestinal tract fails to absorb a sufficient enough amount of fluids from waste products, or water is directed toward the intestines, increasing the overall intestinal fluid volume.
How long does it take for a ferret to have diarrhea?
Diagnosis of Diarrhea in Ferrets. If your ferret is experiencing diarrhea for greater than two or three days, it is important to have the pet evaluated by a licensed veterinary professional.
How long does ferret diarrhea last?
Diarrhea in ferrets does not always need veterinary attention if the condition only lasts a day or two, but any diarrhea case that lasts longer than two or three days must be properly diagnosed by a veterinarian.
What to do if fecal examination is negative?
If the results from the fecal examination are negative, the veterinarian may request a urinalysis and blood analysis. An ultrasound of the small and large intestines may be requested to identify a foreign body enlarged in the intestinal tract.
What color is ferret diarrhea?
Diarrhea is easily identified by a loose or watery stool, paired with frequent defecation. The color of the feces may be dark brown, greenish, or yellow, and can contain blood or internal parasites. The exact symptom paired with a ferret’s diarrhea condition depends greatly on the primary cause.
What causes Stanley to have diarrhea?
Stanley may have a parasite causing that diarrhea, or the change in food may have caused it. He may also have a systemic disease or a partial foreign body. Without seeing him, I can't determine the cause, and it would be best to have him seen by a veterinarian to find out what is happening and how to treat it.
Can you change the flavor of ferret food?
The same is true for a change in brand, ingredient, or flavor of your typical ferret food. If you would like to make a change in your ferret’s diet, you will need to make a gradual change in order to allow the intestinal tract time to adjust to the change.
Why do ferrets have low blood sugar?
As ferrets age, many develop tumors in their pancreas causing the production of excess insulin. Because of this, ferrets can easily develop hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) when they are without food, and should be fed several small meals throughout the day.
Can ferrets eat raisins?
Ferrets do enjoy sweets, dairy products, raisins, fruits, and vegetables, but these foods should be avoided , as they may produce diarrhea and erratic swings in blood sugar. A piece of cooked meat or some meat baby food is fine as an occasional treat.
Can ferrets eat chocolate?
Chocolate can be fatal to ferrets! Be sure to check with your veterinarian before you feed your ferret any people food , especially snack foods. Dietary changes can contribute to problems such as upset stomach, diarrhea, and pancreatic problems.
Ferret Diet (Definitive Guide For Beginners)
If you are a beginner with a ferret or willing to adopt a ferret, then it is so important to know the best ferret diet plan and schedule.
Ferret Diet (Explained For Beginners)
Giving a nutritionally balanced diet to your ferret is essential for live healthy and stay active.
Commercial Canned Diet (Wet Food)
Another exceptional option for a ferret diet is a commercial canned diet, also known as wet food.
Ferret Raw Diet
Another best ferret’s diet option available is a raw diet. Which is based on animal meat along with bones.
The Whole Prey Diet: Feeding A ferret small animals or insects
This diet is what ferret evolved eating. In the wild, polecat’s diet is varied and contains many things such as small animals (rabbits, mice, and so on), insects, eggs, fish, and some trace amount of seasonal fruit.
Precautions while feeding your ferret
Your health priority is more than any, so you need to be aware while feeding your ferret.
Avoid undigested feed
Ferrets have a short intestinal tract and lack of cecum (organ). So they are not able to digest all food as humans do.
Symptoms and Types
- Familiarize yourself with what is normal for your ferret. A ferret’s normal stool should be soft, but still formed (rather than runny).[1] X Research source Check your ferret’s cage or litter box from time to time and observe what its healthy stool looks like. If you notice anything unusual, such as stools that are runny, green, or foul-smelling, contact your vet.
- Take your ferret to the vet if you notice diarrhea. Diarrhea in a ferret can be a symptom of a s…
Causes
Diagnosis
- The symptoms of diarrhea will depend on the underlying cause and severity of the illness, but most often include watery or loose stools, abdominal swelling or distension, and lethargy. If it persists for long periods of time, it can even cause the ferret to become dehydrated. Inflammatory and infectious diarrhea are two serious forms of the condition. They can lead to permanent cha…
Treatment
- There are many different causes for diarrhea in ferrets. It can be due to a poor diet, an adverse drug or environmental reaction, or just an upset stomach. Some of the more common causes for diarrhea in ferrets include: 1. Bacterial infections (e.g., helicobacter mustelae, campylobacter sp., clostridium sp.) 2. Viral infections (e.g., rotavirus) 3. Parasitic infections (e.g., coccidia, giardia a…
Living and Management
- Your veterinarian will probably run a variety of laboratory tests to rule out certain causes of diarrhea and properly diagnose the source of the condition. Some clues that will help determine the cause include the duration of the diarrhea, the overall health of the ferret and whether or not it presents any other chronic disease symptoms. Ferrets with underlying disorders may display su…