My ferret was lost for weeks, now found. What to do for his health?

Hello, and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It is unclear how long Bandit has been back home now after his 30 hours missing. It definitely is pretty typical for a pet to be extra tired for a few days after going missing, from the stress/excitement, and potentially increased activity of being out. If Bandit is eating and drinking well, that's certainly a good sign. You should be seeing him become progressively more of his normal self. If he continues to seem "off" or overly tired beyond the first couple days, or if you feel his appetite is decreased, then I'd definitely have a vet take a look. There are many hazards that our pets can encounter when they get outside, such as injury, toxic exposure, bites from other animals, etc so if Bandit isn't bouncing back it's worth having him seen by a vet. Hope this helps - glad he's home safe!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm glad you have been reunited with Tweet! It is likely that she has not eaten in several days - I recommend giving her high protein food (you can try small amounts of canned cat food or moistened ferret kibble) in multiple small meals throughout the day. I commonly recommend a product called Ferretone, which has high vitamins and calories, which may help Tweet regain nutrients quicker. You should keep a close eye on her over the next several days, especially because she may have eaten something she should not have while she was missing. I hope all is well and am happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Poor Hazel. The main things I would look for is if she stops eating or starts vomting or having diarrhea. Cats that run off for a while may have been bitten or injured while gone. Although you don’t see any obviously punctures, I would watch for any swellings anywhere. An abscess could always form over the next week from a previous injury where the skin already healed. Let her rest but her activity should pick up after a few days of sleeping. I hope this helps and she has a full recovery.

Thank you for your question about your ferrets, and I am so happy to hear that your older ferret is doing better! Yes, you should be able to introduce your ferrets now that your older one is feeling better, but I would ensure that he is completely at 100% before doing so. And of course, doing this process slowly to ensure that the new ferret doesn't pick on your older one. I typically tell people to wait a couple of weeks prior to the introductions after they have been affected with coronavirus - this is because they often lose weight when they are sick and I want them to gain as much back as possible. I also like for their stool to return back to normal, and to ensure that they are back to their normal hydration as well. If you are questioning at all whether your older ferret is in tip top shape to be able to introduce to your new ferret, I would recommend a recheck examination with your veterinarian. Also, if there were any abnormalities on blood work values or anything else, they can also recheck those to ensure that everything is as normal as possible prior to the introductions. I hope that gives you a place to start, and again I am very happy that your older ferret is feeling better.

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I can understand how that could be scary for you! If he seems to be more lethargic/sleepier than usual, or seems to limp on any of his legs, I would have him evaluated by a veterinarian. As long as Kai is still acting normally (eating, drinking, urinating and defecating normally), not showing any signs of pain, and moving around as usual, I would not be concerned. I hope this is helpful!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding your cat. What an amazing story to find her again after all that time. I recommend that she sees her veterinarian. She will need a thorough examination and possibly bloodwork. Starvation could certainly account for her weight loss, but so could a new underlying disease if she is an older cat. A rabies vaccine booster will likely be given as well. I hope this information helps!

I am sorry This happened to kasey. I would recommend taking him to a veterinarian immediately. I am not sure what caused this but now kasey needs immediate care. Kasey is most likely dehydrated and if he is not eating he could get fatty liver disease which is very difficult to treat. The feces could be soft/ diarrhea secondary to stress , toxins or something he got into when he was lost. I hope kasey feels better soon