My ferret has seedy or grainy poop. What to do until the vet opens?

Thanks for reaching out about Brinston. Changes in fecal quality, composition or color can be dietary, intestinal infections (bacteria, virus) or parasites, metabolic disorders and ingested foreign material. If persists, a veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a treatment plan. Continue to monitor feces, try to stabilize diet (no treats). Good luck.

Loose stools in ferrets can definitely be associated with a diet change but it is important to make sure that viral infections or intestinal parasites are not responsible. Unfortunately, I am unable to prescribe any medications for Rocky without examining him myself, but you can monitor him for any changes such as lethargy or vomiting. Ferrets have a very quick intestinal tract, so their stool typically returns to normal after a benign upset within 24 hours. If Rocky’s symptoms perist, he may need to be seen by a vet to rule out parasites or infections. In the meantime, make sure he has plenty of water to drink in order to replace any fluids lost with the diarrhea.

It is definitely something to keep a close eye on but I don't know if I would be overly concerned just yet unless he is showing other symptoms of illness (like vomiting, not eating, lethargy, etc). If all else is OK I suggest you start Bilbo on a probiotic to see if that will help. https://petvaluemart.com/digestive-enzymes/111-purina-fortiflora.html?search_query=fortiflora&results=1 Also, be sure you are feeding him a high quality diet like Marshalls or Zupreem. http://www.ferretdepot.com/food-!%60-nutrition/ferret-food/ And don't feed any treats unless they are labeled for ferrets: http://www.ferretdepot.com/toys-!%60-treats/ferret-treats/ If the mucus persists despite these changes then I suggest you get him to your vet for an exam. Hope this helps!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! My first thought here is that Basil should likely be checked for intestinal parasites, especially things like coccidia. Irritable bowel disease and things like GI lymphoma are also possible but further down in the rule out list (list of potential diagnoses). These would be tested for if you fecal test for parasites were to come back completely normal. If you have changed her food, or she has developed a food allergy-this can also affect her stool. I always recommend that ferrets with diarrhea be seen by your vet-they can get very dehydrated very quickly. Make sure that she is drinking adequate amounts of fluids right now until you can get her in to be seen. I hope this helps!

I'm glad he's feeling a bit better but remember, it hasn't even been 24 hours with the medication and fluids. The treatment is not magic; you need to give it some time to work. I would not expect him to be pooping when he hasn't been eating. Don't get too hung up on the pooping right now. That is not a huge issue at this point. Just make sure he is eating and definitely use the Critical 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!

Very dark feces is always a quite concerning sign as it could be related to the presence of digested blood coming from the first tract of the gastrointestinal tract. A clinical examination at your local veterinarian is immediately essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Antibiotics and possibly further investigations (like abdominal imaging as ultrasound or radiographs) 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. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!