Ferret News
Pet Ferret Care Tips
and Information.

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contact: marymodernferret.com

In this newsletter:

• It's Nice To Share ... Except When It Comes To Medicines
   
• Ferret Health Warning (skin tumors)

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We all know that we're not supposed to share our prescription medicines with other people. Sometimes we ignore the warnings and take other people's medications anyway. Taking on that risk for yourself is up to you, but should you put your ferret at risk by giving her a medication that was prescribed for another pet? Or worse, a human?

It's really never a good idea to give your ferret medication without checking with your veterinarian first. Some medications are very dangerous to ferrets -- such as any medication with acetaminophen (Tylenol). Acetaminophen can cause liver failure in a ferret with just one dose. If your ferret's liver fails, there's nothing your vet can do to cure him. Acetaminophen can be found in cold remedies and pain medications, among others.

Other medications may require specific dosages for specific species of animal or the dosage may vary by the size of the animal. Thus, what worked for your cat's medical problem might not work for your ferret at all. Or the dosage that might have been correct for one ferret might be too low or too high for another ferret.

Another concern is that the symptoms you see in your ferret might indicate a medical issue that's different from an issue causing similar symptoms in another pet (like a cat or dog) or another ferret. Only your vet is qualified to make a diagnosis. Also, the ferret who is ill might have another ongoing medical issue which makes it dangerous to take an otherwise appropriate medication. The medication might have dangerous side effects for a ferret with a particular medical condition or it might interfere with a medication the ferret is already taking.

Of course, experienced ferret owners have seen a lot of different diseases in many different ferrets and are often in an excellent position to recognize illness in a ferret. Even so, it's still a good idea to check with your vet before you decide to give your ferret any sort of medication -- prescription or over the counter.

When your ferret is feeling under the weather, the last thing you want to do is make him feel worse. Why take a chance, when it is simple enough to telephone your vet and possibly prevent a serious medical emergency?

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Ralph's Health Warning

Hi fellow ferrets! I just want to share with you a scary thing that happened to me (don't worry though -- everything turns out OK!). A few weeks ago my dad was petting me when he noticed that I had an unusual bump on my head. It looked like a little wart. At first mommy and daddy thought I got bitten by that little brat Knuks and it got infected.

The next day it didn't look any better. My parents were concerned and immediately rushed me off for a visit to the veterinarian. The vet said that it looked like a tumor and suggested a surgery (yikes!) be scheduled to remove it.

My mommy and daddy did some research and came up with this:

Skin tumors are common in ferrets. While they are not usually malignant, they can be irritating and can spread. The best thing to do is have a veterinarian look at the bump, remove it and have it analyzed (called a biopsy).

Well, mommy and daddy fasted me for about 6 hours before the surgery (remember, we ferrets have a quick digestive tracts and 3 to 4 hours is enough to clear us out). Then they brought me to the vet and put me under anesthesia (some stuff called Isoflurane). A little while later I was ready to go back home -- with a shaved head!

Two weeks later I went back to have the stitches taken out and the area examined. I was fine, although a little embarrassed to go out in public with a funny haircut.

Well, my hair has all grown back now and ... I'm back to my usual glamorous self. I told you everything turns out OK. So make sure your mommy and daddy check you every now and then to make sure you don't have any strange bumps of your own.

 -- Ralph

P.S. Thank you to everybody who sent get-well wishes. They worked!

Ferret News