My ferret ate drywall. What should I look for if they ate it?

Dry wall ingestion may cause gastrointestinal upset. If a large enough quantity is ingested, it may pose a risk of obstruction. Monitor for vomiting​, diarrhea, loss of appetite, lethargy or abdominal pain. Seek veterinary attention if any of these symptoms develop.

If Jordy did eat the dry wall by biggest concern would be possible obstruction if he swallowed a big piece instead of chewing it. However, as you know dry wall really crumbles and I suspect you would see evidence on the floor or in/ around his mouth if he has been messing around with it. I would monitor him for any signs of nausea or Vomiting. On the other hand you could be very proactive and have him seen at an ER today and have them induce vomiting to see if he vomits anything out. This may be a bit overkill since we don’t even know if it was ingested, but it is certainly an option. Best of luck and I hope he does well. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thanks for reaching out about Cappy. Young ferrets with clinical signs of possible nausea, are commonly suspect with foreign body ingestion. A veterinary visit is recommended. Besides eating something they were not supposed to, intestinal infections paraistes or metabolic disease, should also be considered. Good luck.

You can try to remove the litter from your ferret's cage and keep him on newspaper for the time being. If the behavior does not improve, a veterinarian that specializes in exotic animals could test your ferret's blood to see if there is any medical reason that is causing him to eat his litter. Good luck! I hope he is feeling better soon.

Poor Halo! Hopefully you've been able to get to the vet by now since I see this post is a bit older. If not, keeping her warm and happy and monitoring her for any changes in status (vomiting, retching, lethargy, pain, etc) is best. If she does suddenly act worse, or has very obvious signs of illness, getting her into a vet or emergency clinic sooner is best.

I would be concerned that your ferret is either constipated, having diarrhea, or perhaps has a foreign body/blockage going on. If she does not eat within a 24 hour period then yes, I would recommend taking her into the vet. Your veterinarian will need to palpate her abdomen, possibly do a fecal exam, and may recommend abdominal x-rays and an ultrasound. Because ferrets are so small they can become dehydrated and weak very quickly if not eating and drinking. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Please let us know if you have any other questions or if anything changes with Zelda. Best of luck!

I don’t think ingesting this amount of sheet rock would cause a problem although you could see vomiting and diarrhea. She may need to be crated or otherwise confined when unsupervised in the future to prevent this kind of destructive behavior.