My ferret is suddenly weak, wobbly, and biting. What should I do?

I'm sorry that Oscar and his companion are not feeling well! Weakness in ferrets can be caused by low blood sugar, which can be a result of an insulinoma, a very common pancreatic tumor in ferrets which secretes insulin and causes low blood sugar. This requires a veterinary exam, bloodwork, and other diagnostics to diagnose. In the meantime, I recommend offering both ferrets a high protein/high fat small meal every several hours to keep their blood sugar levels normal. This can be their normal diet or canned cat food. I hope all is well!

Hello there, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I am concerned about Stewart. While this interesting biting behavior may be simply that - a strange behavior - I strongly suggest that medical conditions are ruled out by a veterinarian before chalking it up to a weird idiosyncrasy. If Stewart is biting at the air above his head, as if trying to catch a bug, I worry about a secondary condition called "fly-biting," which is essentially a type of seizure. Fly-biting is most common in dogs, but there are certain diseases that can cause seizures in ferrets as well, like an insulinoma (a mass on the pancreas that messes with glucose regulation), a vitamin deficiency, or toxin ingestion. These are unlikely considering Stewart's young age, but I always feel that a physical reason for strange behaviors should be eliminated first. If he's biting the air towards your hands only, I'd feel better about calling it a behavioral issue, but biting the air randomly doesn't sound normal. If everything seems okay after the vet visit, you can talk to him or her about behavior modification. There is a veterinarian that sees exotic animals near you: Mercury Animal Hospital 2500 W Mercury Blvd, Hampton, VA 23666 (757) 826-4951 Good luck, and I hope that Stewart is indeed a healthy ferret!

A ferret that tires out quickly is concerning of an insulinoma, which is a common type of tumor that ferrets get that can cause low blood sugar. This can be easily diagnosed by a veterinarian and there are some treatment options. You can also test this at home by giving her a little karo syrup, or honey and seeing if that increases her energy. If it does, then it's likely to be an insulinoma and you should take her to the vet as soon as possible. Another possible cause is an obstruction in the intestine. Ferrets are well known to eat things that they shouldn't, which can get stuck in the intestines and cause them to feel very down like this. This is also something that needs veterinary treatment, so it's best to take Panda to a vet that treats ferrets within the next 24 hours. I hope that helps and Panda gets better soon.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It sounds like Archie is not feeling well. His wet back end can be due to diarrhea or an inability to control his bladder or bowel movements. The fact that he is dragging his feet around sounds like he may be paralyzed, but I can’t say for certain without some more information. I would be happy to do a consultation to find out more about what is going on and give you some idea about what may be causing this. If Archie isn’t your pet, I recommend letting his owner know about what is going on and having him evaluated by a vet.

Thanks for reaching out about Willy and including a photo. Age is middle age and not considered old. Just because he did not respond to Karo syrup does not mean he doesn't have an insulinoma. But other conditions possible. A veterinary visit is recommended, but probably sooner than late next week. Monitor appetite and body score if you can. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Phoenix. Pawing at the mouth is a common sign of nausea and low blood glucose in ferrets. This is often a problem in ferrets older than three years of age. There are multiple causes of low blood sugar including an insulinoma (pancreatic tumor producing too much insulin), intestinal malabsorption through the intestinal tract, not eating due to other problems (pain, dental disease, metabolic disorders, other) just to list a few. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. If this is an insulinoma, there are surgical and medical options to stabilize. For now, try offering a little Karo syrup of maple syrup to the gums and then encourage to eat the normal kibble. Good luck.

Thanks for reaching out about Sally. Itchy skin can be due to fleas, bacterial or fungal dermatitis, adrenal or other endocrine problems and more. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. Falling over and wobbly, could be a low blood sugar, possibly an insulinoma. Good luck.