Is my ferret's firm left rib cage serious if he's still active?

Thanks for reaching out about Alaska. At this young age, a gastrointestinal foreign body would be highly suspicious and could explain the pain and discomfort. If not eating, ferrets are prone to hypoglycemia, exasperating the lethargy. A veterinarian should be seen as soon as possible. Good luck.

Swollen belly in ferrets can be caused by various condition although one of the most common is a heart disease ferrets tend to suffer from. i strongly recommend taking him to the vet ASAP in order to get it checked and treated.

What a cute name! Toby most likely is doing just fine. I would continue to monitor him when he is asleep and awake playing. IF at anytime he is not drinking, eating or playing I would recommend taking him to the vet for a good exam. Toby could have an obstruction or gastritis (upset belly) that is causing him to look more bloated while sleeping. I think at this time monitoring him is the best option

Hello! Willy is quite adorable in those pictures! A ferrets spleen is on the left side of the abdomen. However it may be challenging to feel in a wiggly ferret by yourself. You also want to be very careful when feeling organs in any animals abdomen, as the organs can be damaged or traumatized if handled too roughly. If you are worried that Willy has been a bit lethargic lately, the best thing would be to have a complete physical exam and possibly some testing done by a veterinarian experienced with ferrets. At his age, he could certainly have many different things going on, and only a few might cause a change in the size or shape of the spleen. That’s why a head to toe exam would be the best thing! I hope that helped answer your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This may be due to conditions such as pancreatitis, gastroenteritis, gastrointestinal foreign body ingestion and obstruction, among other possibilities. I suggest other diagnostics are performed at this point such as abdominal ultrasound and labwork. It is crucial to find out exactly what is going on so that therapy can be used based on the specific condition. In the meantime, they may be able to prescribe anti-nausea medications as that may be why she is not eating well. Best of luck!

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!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'm so sorry to hear about Clarence. Some further tests can help make a diagnosis and determine if a treatment other than surgery is possible. Tests would include an ultrasound of his belly, this would show if there are any masses that were not seen on the x-rays or enlargement of any organs. His feces can also be submitted to a lab to see if he has any parasites. Because Clarence is losing weight and is unable to control his bowels, it sounds like you may have some difficult decisions to make regarding his future and care. I'm sorry that Clarence is not doing well and wish you luck with his care!