My new ferret is scratching, wobbly, and not playing. What's wrong?

Hello. A ferret that is pruritic ( itchy ) without signs of ectoparasites ( fleas, lice ) is adrenal gland disease until proven otherwise. It is not uncommon for very itchy ferrets to have no obvious signs of hair loss. Occasional, cutaneous mast cell tumors can be very pruritic. These are almost always benign in ferrets & removal is curative. I would encourage you to have your ferrets evaluated by a veterinarian & have some diagnostic tests done to find the underlying cause of the itching. Then appropriate treatment can be started. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for reaching out about Lola. Microscopic parasites such as mites, can cause itching. Ferrets are fastidious groomers and will often itch themselves. If the problem persists, a veterinary visit is recommended. Good luck.

Hello, I'm sorry to hear Snowflake is feeling unwell. Scratching in a young ferret can be a sign of external parasites, such as fleas, scabies or ear mites. I would suggest taking her to a vet to check for the above, and perform a skin scraping test to check for scabies or demodex mites. I hope this helps, and your ferret is feeling better soon!

It is important to find out why they are itching first before putting anything on them. They could be suffering from a mite infection, a fungal or a bacterial infection. All of these cause serious itch and each of these is treated differently. Please take your ferrets to your vet for an exam to determine why they are itching. Mites itch terribly, the skin gets scabby and fur gets lost. Mites are easily treated with avermectin injections. A fungal infection may need oral medications or antifungal shampoo or both and a bacterial infection is usually treated with oral antibiotics.

I am sorry to hear about Slider! I would recommend bringing him into the vet for examination with these symptoms. Though he is young we do worry about Adrenal gland disease in ferrets with hair loss and decreased appetite https://www.petcoach.co/article/adrenal-gland-disease/ . We can also have things like external parasites, allergies, and nutrition issues cause hair loss https://www.petcoach.co/article/causes-of-scratching-licking-in-ferrets/

I am sorry Alice is not feeling well. With her being an older ferret I would recommend taking her to a vet for some basic blood work and an exam. Older ferrets can get adrenal disease which can cause hair loss but typically they gain weight. However, infection, virus, cancers, kidney disease and even gastric upset can cause weight loss and abnormal behavior. I really think she needs some testing and good exam to help point you in the right direction. I hope she feels better soon

Rub a small amount of Karo syrup on his gums. If he perks up, offer a meal and then have him examined by your veterinarian. He may be having hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) episodes that could lead to behavioral issues. Most general practice vets should be able to examine and treat Hades.