Ferret News
Pet Ferret Care Tips
and Information.

www.ferretnews.com

Ferret News #68: Dehydration in Ferrets
June 23, 2004

by Mary R. Shefferman and Eric Shefferman
along with Gabrielle (the lone ferret)

contact: marymodernferret.com

5. No! Don’t look under the bed!

10. You got me a pony!! Huh? What’s a “dog?”

11. But I can still ride it, right?

20. What sock?

39. When I stand on your head, it means I love you.

47. Never say “quit!”

58. What funny smell?

70. A great ferret shows his greatness by the way he treats little ferrets.

75. But if I don’t exasperate you, I feel like I’m letting you down!

113. Sorry…was this your shoe?

127. Remember: I am capable of looking completely innocent, even when caught in the act!

145. I may be small, but I make a big impression.

163. Define “stolen.”

182. The kitchen was like that when I got here.

226. The plant started it.

257. Ferrets are the center of the universe.

283. I’m not always mischievous. Sometimes I’m asleep.

328. You can never play with your ferret too much.

348. S-T-R-E-T-C-H

380. Maybe you’re the one that needs a bath!

402. What are you yelling at me for? I didn’t tell you to step in it!

416. Pick me up!

417. Put me down!

459. Ferret Math: Resistance is futile!

497. My whiskers tickle? You don’t say.

Did You Know That...

  Ferrets can get dehydrated for several reasons. The two most common reasons for dehydration are heat (hot weather) and illness. Some medications can also make a ferret more likely to get dehydrated.

  The easiest way to tell if your ferret is dehydrated is to pinch the scruff of her neck. If it snaps back right away after you let go, your ferret is well hydrated. If the skin stays pinched after you let go or if it takes a few seconds to snap back, your ferret may be dehydrated. (If your ferrets are healthy right now, go pinch their scruffs -- the best way to recognize something's wrong is to know what's normal.)

  A ferret who is not eating or who has vomiting or diarrhea as a result of illness can become dehydrated very quickly. A ferret who gets overheated can become dehydrated. Sometimes older ferrets or ferrets with insulinoma can become dehydrated because they don't drink enough water.

  If your ferret is ill or the weather is particularly warm, make sure you keep an electrolyte replacer (such as Pedialyte, Kao-Lectrolyte, or Marshall's Ferret Aide) on hand. At the first sign of dehydration (lack of energy, lack of appetite, scruff skin not snapping back into place quickly), give your ferret electrolyte replacer. When ferrets (or people) become dehydrated, they need to have certain minerals and electrolytes replaced as well as fluids. That's where Pedialyte (or, in a pinch, Gatorade) can help more than plain water. Often, ferrets who won't drink on their own will gladly lap water or Pedialyte from your hand or a spoon.

  Because dehydration makes the ferret feel worse and may make him want to eat and drink less, it's crucial that you make sure your ferret drinks enough when he's ill or when it's very hot outside (even if you have the a/c on). If your ferret can't or won't drink water on his own or doesn't seem to be getting better with Pedialyte, you may need to take him to the vet for subcutaneous (under the skin) fluids. This can mean the difference between life and death. Don't wait more than a few hours before taking your ferret to the vet.

  If your ferret's scruff skin doesn't snap back and he is lethargic, take him to the vet for fluids and a check-up right away. Dehydration quickly becomes an emergency situation.

  Many experienced ferret owners learn how to give subQ fluids to their ferrets. If you have a lot of ferrets or you have ferrets who are older, you may want to ask your vet about whether you can give subQ fluids at home.

(Find more information about dehydration and heatstroke in the Super Monster Pack.)

Quick Cool Tip: Freeze It!

  Fans don't keep ferrets cool. The reason fans work for us humans is that we sweat. The breeze from a fan helps evaporate the sweat which cools us off. But ferrets don't sweat, so the breeze from a fan doesn't cool them like it cools us.

  To keep your ferrets cool, air conditioning is best. Or you may choose to keep your ferrets in a cool room in your home -- a place that doesn't go over 80 degrees -- on especially hot days or for the hottest months of the year. But what if your a/c breaks or if you have to travel with your ferrets in a car with no a/c?

  Fill a couple of 1-liter bottles with water and freeze them. If your ferret needs extra cooling off, you can wrap a bottle in a thin towel (a dishtowel, for example) and put it in the cage or carrier with your ferret. A warm fuzzy will usually move near the ice-bottle. If it gets too cool, he can move away from the ice-bottle.

  Sometimes an ice-bottle is not enough. Make sure you keep an eye on your ferrets in warm weather to make sure they are not getting over-heated or dehydrated. (See this article for more on heatstroke.) (Find more about staying cool in the Super Monster Pack.)

The Super Monster Pack of Modern Ferret Magazine Back Issues

The Super Monster Pack of Modern Ferret Magazine back issues has all kinds of valuable ferret information written by ferret owning experts -- the ones who know what's what with ferrets.   You will find summertime tips and information in Modern Ferret Magazine back issues: #6, #16, #17, #23, & #30 -- all in the Super Monster Pack.   You get more than 1,000 pages of ferret fun and information. (If you bought all these back issues separately, it would cost about $150.00.)

All 28 available back issues of Modern Ferret magazine!   #1* #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13 #14 #15 #16 #17 #18 #19 #20 #21 #22 #23 #25 #26 #27 #28 #29 #30 #31 #32 #33 *Reprint What Readers Are Saying...   "I found the magazines to be an excellent source of information - I think of this collection of magazines as a Ferret Encyclopedia. For the price, I don’t think there’s a better source of well-written, informative and downright fun articles on everyone's favorite little creatures." -- Greg Johnson, Wisconsin   "...I keep them on hand and re-read them often. ...It was more than worth the money. Anyone with a ferret must have the [Super Monster] Pack -- it gives you the info you really need to know for your fuzzies’ sake.” --Robbin Ambrosini, Ohio

  That's all for now. Make sure you keep an eye out for our next newsletter. There'll be more ferret information and another quick cool tip.

-- Mary, Eric & Gabby (the Lone Ferret)

  Stay tuned for more. You can always get updates by reading my blog (a blog is an online journal). I keep it sporadically and it usually runs to the more personal stuff. But you might like it. It's at

http://www.modernferretblog.com/mary

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Copyright 2004 Modern Ferret magazine.
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