ferrets...disease? cancer? help plz?ive had 3 ferrets in my life, 2 of them died..one died around age 7, but we brought her to a vet and he said she had a tumor in her liver(?). since she was old, we just put her down, but my other ferret that died was only about 2 years old...he had the same kind of symptoms as my first ferret, he slept a lot, back legs didnt work well, got very boney, didnt eat or drink as much, and didnt move much. we didnt bring him to a vet, probably because my mom didnt want to pay or something, but he died..and i was just curious to find out if this was the same as my other ferret. whether it was another tumor or some kind of disease, i dont know. but maybe the same thing? do ferrets tend to get tumors? if you know common causes of death for ferrets, please answer.
my first ferret was the one with the tumor. my 2nd is alive and well; acting as a normal ferret should, and my 3rd ferret that died..well we bought him after the 1st one died. so i know it wasnt something contageous? my 2nd ferret lived in the same cage as the 1st one before it died, and lived in the same cage as the 3rd ferret before he died.
im sorry if this is so confusing, i just dont know how else to word it.
[R.I.P Serena and Ripley <3]
Answer by Annie D
Tumors and cancers are very common in ferrets, especially in ones originating from ferret farms (i.e. Marshall's). Without knowing exactly, it almost sounds like your young guy MAY have had juvenile lymphosarcoma (prognosis is poor for this, since the disease is so rapid in the young ferret's body). my 3 year old male had almost the exact same symptoms; at the onset, my vet said it sounded like a cold, so we kept him home, and by the time we knew it wasn't, it was already too late. Ferrets go down hill fast, so we always have to watch out ;) Interesting tidbit: hindleg weakness is a common symptom in almost every ferret disease (just some quirk of ferts, I guess). I'm sorry about your babies, and wish you the best of luck (watch out for black, tarry stools, teeth grinding, vomiting, etc, with your remaining fert. This is a sign of ulcers and stomach infections that are extremely common in ferrets--especially after stress. Ulcers can kill ferrets, so get your baby in if you ever see any of those signs). Hope this helps!
Answer by αll for ಌzoεyಌ
Sorry for your loss. =( I know how hard it can be.
As for what could have been wrong with your ferrets - I'm not a vet, but my first guess would be lymphoma. There's two forms of this cancer - juvenile (or lymphoblastic) form which usually hits ferrets under 14 months and then there's the classic (or lymphocytic) form which hits older ferrets (usually three to four years old and up). It's a form of cancer that hits the ograns and cells designed for fighting diseases (like the liver, spleen, and kidneys to name a few). Signs would include what you describe - hind leg weakness, loss of appetite, weight loss, lethargy, and can also include enlarged lymph nodes, enlarged spleen, diarrhea, and/or labored breathing. And you're right, it's not contagious, but it is very common in ferrets (it's up there with adrenal and insulinoma). It can be diagnosed with a biopsy of a lymph node, bone marrow, spleen, or chest fluid. Sometimes the symptoms can be enough to raise a red flag. Blood work or feeling under the armpits or around the neck for enlarged lymph nodes can also raise a flag, but a biopsy should always be done to confirm it. Treatment really depends on the age and health of your ferret, but can include surgery, chemotherapy, and/or meds (like prednisone). It's also VERY expensive to treat.
Like I said, I'm not a vet and I haven't had any personal experiences with lymphoma yet, but I have read a good bit about ferret illnesses, and lymphoma would be my first guess. If you didn't know exactly what was wrong when they were alive, then the only way you'll know for sure now is to have a necropsy done.
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