Why is my ferret opening its mouth like something is stuck inside?

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.

Thanks for reaching out about Phoenix. Pawing at the mouth is a common sign of nausea and low blood glucose in ferrets. This is often a problem in ferrets older than three years of age. There are multiple causes of low blood sugar including an insulinoma (pancreatic tumor producing too much insulin), intestinal malabsorption through the intestinal tract, not eating due to other problems (pain, dental disease, metabolic disorders, other) just to list a few. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. If this is an insulinoma, there are surgical and medical options to stabilize. For now, try offering a little Karo syrup of maple syrup to the gums and then encourage to eat the normal kibble. Good luck.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I would be very concerned as this can be a sign of gastric disease. Ferrets often get foreign objects stuck in their guts, and can try to vomit but nothing comes up. I would recommend getting Zelda to a vet right away and have some x-rays done, as Zelda might need surgery. Best of luck with Zelda!

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!

Hi there and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Any time we have a known ingestion of a foreign body and vomiting this warrants a vet visit asap. Likely your doctor will do x rays-or a series with barium (a substance ingested by the pet so you can see an obstruction in x rays more easily). I hope this helps and that Damien feels better soon!

This sign could be compatible with an upper respiratory tract inflammation/infection or possibly to a gengivostomatitis (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.

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.