Why isn't my 5-month-old ferret making noise? Is he sick or unhappy?

Hi there. So sorry that Feru is having this issue. At 16 days old I think it would be hard to say if a ferret is "happy" or not. If she was more active before and she is now not as active (lethargic) then she needs to see a vet ASAP as this could indicate an underlying illness. In a young animal this could be very serious. I suggest you have her checked out by a vet before you just chalk up her behavior to being "bored". Hope this answers your question. Best wishes.

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!

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.

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Inappetence and lethargy could be due to a gastrointestinal condition such as gastroenteritis, an infection, cancer, pancreatitis, a gastrointestinal foreign body, among other possibilities. I highly recommend that you have Charlie evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. They would be able to proceed with further diagnostics such as abdominal ultrasound and bloodwork. Treatment would depend on findings. Good luck!

If this is a sudden change in behavior then I would be concerned she may not be feeling well or could have a medical cause for the changes. If she is a new ferret and this is how she has always behaved, she may just need time to warm up to you or this may just be her personality. If she is not eating/drinking normally or is not having normal bowel movements or seems lethargic, then these would all be reasons to seek veterinary care.

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.