My ferret is sick: coughing, red eyes, lethargic, and can't swallow.

This sign could be compatible with an upper respiratory tract inflammation/infection or possibly to a chronic rhinitis (inflammatory, allergic, infective). A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics may be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Poor Cynthia! Certain viral infections such as distemper and flu, bacterial infections, foreign bodies and upper respiratory infections can cause the signs you are describing. If you think that Cynthia is having trouble breathing, she should be seen by a vet immediately. The conditions above can be treated with supportive care and/or antibiotics depending on the cause. I hope this helps and that Cynthia feels better soon!

This could be due to a viral infection, possibly affecting both respiratory and gastrointestinal system. An immediate check up at your local veterinarian is required as antibiotics are likely to be needed.

Hello, and thank you for your question. I'm sorry to hear that Freddy has been unwell. Coughing may be a sign of an upper respiratory infection (e.g. a cold), or a hair ball, or heart disease. Coughing can also be mistaken with wretching, or the attempt to vomit. In this case the cause may be related to a gastrointestinal infection, or foreign body ingestion. Stinkier stools may also be related to a gastrointestinal issue. I would recommend taking Freddy to a vet, who will be able to fully diagnose his condition by performing a thorough physical exam. They can take a good listen to his lungs to check for pneumonia, and palpate his stomach to check for pain or evidence of hair ball or foreign body. They may also recommend checking a fecal sample to test for intestinal parasites. I hope this helps, and that Freddy is feeling better soon!

I agree it is difficult to pinpoint what is the problem with Fera. I wonder if she had any episodes of vomiting or weight loss, or has she been sneezing at all ? Any changes in her appetite ? Has she had any blood tests done ? If you can I would recommend to chose to go for further investigations, as the symptoms are quite vague but at the same time we don’t want Fera to become too poorly ! In order to answer your question, a consultation with one of our exotics vet might be your second option, providing as many details as possible would help formulating a differential list of conditions.

Ferrets do get upper respiratory infections or colds just like us. Usually they get better with rest and no treatment is necessary. If the eyes or nose get green or yellow discharge or they stop eating they may have a secondary bacterial infection and would need an exam to confirm the diagnosis and antibiotics. Please do not give human medication. Good luck.

Your ferret may have conjunctivitis or a corneal ulcer (a scrape on the outer most surface of the eye). I would recommend taking him in to see your vet so his eye can be evaluated. He will likely need some eye medication, like an antibiotic, to help get it under control.