My ferret is lethargic, not eating, and trying to throw up. What's wrong?

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!

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.

Hi, I don't know your ferret's age but there are different illnesses that he could be suffering from. Younger ferrets can have GI signs if you see any vomiting or diarrhea or not wanting to eat. There is also a disease relating to the pancreas where they get low blood sugar despite eating, and that can make them tired. They also may have seizures, so be on the lookout for abnormal activity. i would take him to the vet for some blood work and maybe an x ray to see what is going on. There is nothing I can tell you to do from home for illnesses in a ferret. Good luck, i hope he gets better soon!

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!

Poor Badger! His intestinal issues can be caused by viral or bacterial infections or intestinal parasites. While certain viral infections run their course, I recommend having him seen by a vet because you describe him as having lower energy levels and appetite. Badger may need some supportive care to help stabilize him. To speed up the diagnostic process, I recommend bringing a stool sample from Badger in a disposable container so your vet can check for intestinal parasites. I hope this helps and that Badger feels better soon!

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.

Hello. Thank you for using PetCoach. Sorry that Buzz is not feeling well. He really needs to see a vet for this issue. My guess is that he has an upper respiratory infection and this is not likely something that is going to resolve without antibiotic therapy since he has not gotten any better in the last 4 days. If you have pet insurance with 24PetWatch they should cover this issue. http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=11+2071&aid=565 In the meantime I suggest you force feed him some Carnivore Care to get some nutrition into him and get him a vitamin: http://www.petsupplies4less.com/Carnivore-Care_p_1496.html https://www.petco.com/shop/en/petcostore/product/8-in-1-ferretvite-vita-sol-liquid-multi-vitamin-for-ferrets I strongly recommend you get him to your vet ASAP before this gets worse. Hope this helps. Best wishes.