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CompactFanny posted:That's a pretty telltale sign of adrenal disease. I would take him to the vet. Well, we already know he has adrenal disease. He's been to the vet and been treated with lupron which helped for a while, but when we went back around January, we pointed out a sizeable tumor in his belly and the vet said there really wasn't much to do. He seems happy, the tumor hasn't gotten in the way of him urinating (aside from urinating more) or pooping or eating. He seems happy enough when our other ferret feels like playing. Weird thing though, he was nearly bald around January but now he's just about as furry as he's always been. If he is doing the whole dominating thing because of the adrenal disease is there anything we can do? It looks to me like he's just bored as poo poo and trying to pick a fight with our other one.
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| # ? Jul 27, 2011 13:58 |
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| # ? May 26, 2013 03:29 |
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starfish posted:If he is doing the whole dominating thing because of the adrenal disease is there anything we can do? It looks to me like he's just bored as poo poo and trying to pick a fight with our other one. It's not necessarily his adrenal issues causing his behavior. Make ferrets tend to be boisterous. When Jak was younger, I always had to rescue Black from him because he'd be too rough and nip her until she squeaked. Plus, he was always dragging her off by the scruff to hide with his toys. 
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| # ? Jul 27, 2011 22:26 |
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If he's never done it before and is doing it now, it's very likely that it's the disease and there's not too much you can do. Also, since he's doing it in the cage and not during play, it points glaringly to adrenal. Buy some regular Tea Tree Oil and put a dab on the back of Spock's ears and neck area when they go to bed. The terrible taste might deter Scotty from holding on there. Just try to remember that Spock's skin is thick and tough, and it's not really hurting him so much as annoying him. You can also ask your vet about alternative treatments. Did your vet try a melatonin or deslorelin implant before the lupron? Generally, the 2 vets that I go to don't reach for lupron unless the implants are not responded to very well, because it's so expensive. Using them in addition to lupron is fine, and may give the boost he needs.
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| # ? Jul 27, 2011 23:57 |
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We did try to put some bitter apple on a washcloth and rub the back of Spock's neck but it didn't seem to bother Scotty. I have some tea tree oil around so I'll try that. The first treatment he had was a shot and definitely lupron, and it definitely seemed to help because he went from pretty bald on his back and stomach to having his full coat again. The vet was nice enough to offer us a free ultrasound(?) a couple months later and things were looking good, and gave him another shot. Between that time and January, maybe 4 months, he grew a fairly large tumor and lost a lot of hair. Golf ball sized is exaggerating, but during the winter when he was thinner it could be seen and felt through his belly. He's put on some weight now so it's not nearly as apparent unless we're getting some nice belly rubbin' in. When we went to the vet in January, and he told us that lupron wouldn't help with the tumor and that we pretty much just had to "make him comfortable," but he still hasn't shown any signs of slowing down. The thing with him dominating Spock is the only change we've seen. I'll definitely talk to my vet about the implants you mentioned. Right now we're on the lookout for a new friend for the two of them so when the time comes, Spock doesn't suffer too much :/ And for happier things   Scotty  The best spot to chillax, a dark corner next to the sofa.  Spock draped over Scotty's neck. He does this in the cage too, slides halfway onto the platform beside the hammock.  Spock  And another Spock 'cause he's got a hawk All done with picture spam.
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| # ? Jul 28, 2011 04:13 |
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starfish posted:
Hahaha one more time for the world because I love this pic
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| # ? Jul 28, 2011 08:47 |
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I love when they stick out their tongues. Those implants will go a long way towards making him comfortable. Also, lupron works best when re-administered once monthly. Sounds like your vet was having you skip months? That's like skipping chemo treatments. Also, ultrasounds are pretty useless imho. It's very difficult to see what's going on in there, as far as adrenal tumors go, which is why you can't diagnose adrenal disease by ultrasound, only by symptoms. Are you sure that the big abdominal tumor isn't an enlarged spleen? That is infinitely more likely, and a lot better of a prognosis. Not that it much matters, care is the same- don't let him fall down from any significant height or you risk a rupture.
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| # ? Jul 29, 2011 01:15 |
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Double posting because  My insulinoma baby, Scarlette, woke us up the night before last having an episode. Well, she woke up my boyfriend, and he said, "Wake up, CF." and I said "NO!" Then when I realized what was happening I felt horrible. She was having a full-on seizure, and sometimes they scream during these episodes but she was pretty quiet. He just woke up because he heard somebody flailing about in the cage, which is usually no big thing, but he said it sounded too rhythmic. And sure enough, my poor Scarlette was having intense convulsions. I upped her pred dose another 1mg/day after asking the shelter lady about it. She had another less severe episode about a month ago, and we decided to see if it was a one-time thing before upping. I was only going to do a .5mg increase, but the intensity of her seizure was really scary. Luckily she's been on this dose for nearly a year since her last increase, and she was on the first dose (1mg twice daily) for OVER a year before that. I'm pretty satisfied with how she's progressing.  Here's her during pissmas. Click for giant, blurry, yumthattreatwasgood. 
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| # ? Jul 31, 2011 01:41 |
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CompactFanny posted:Double posting because How scary. I would have freaked out. Hope she is feeling better soon, she's got a cute lil face. How old is she?In the meantime, I'm trying everything to stay healthy because my friend who recently got over the flu is staying with me and I woke up this morning sneezing a zillion times. Time for preventative Theraflu and vitamins and no ferret hugs.  I can't imagine what would happen if Jak got sick on top of his recovery from the ulcers. He's doing much better, but gaining back the weight is going to take time. More duck soup it is!
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| # ? Jul 31, 2011 12:58 |
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She's going on eight, late this year. 
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| # ? Aug 1, 2011 02:13 |
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Good lord that is old. That ferret deserves a medal.
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| # ? Aug 1, 2011 03:01 |
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Based on my personal experiences, females tend to live longer than males. We've had quite a few 9 and 10 year old ladies at the shelter, and Scarlette doesn't even show any signs of adrenal disease! I think it's because of the prostate problems that arise in males with adrenal. V  V
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| # ? Aug 1, 2011 16:05 |
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So I have a question about adopting ferrets from a local foster/shelter. Before I can go actually visit the pair of ferrets I want to adopt I have to fill out a form which among other things asks what living arrangements the ferrets will be given. After reading all 30 pages of this thread, I've gathered that sheltered ferrets usually came with donated cages the shelter may not need. I would rather get a used setup from the shelter and maybe make a donation than buy a brand new setup. (I do have the money to get one, it just seems a waste if the shelter has several). If I put on the form that I would be interested in this - would it make me look like a cheapskate/ slob and they wouldn't want to adopt to me?
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| # ? Aug 3, 2011 15:43 |
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bigDninja posted:So I have a question about adopting ferrets from a local foster/shelter. Before I can go actually visit the pair of ferrets I want to adopt I have to fill out a form which among other things asks what living arrangements the ferrets will be given. After reading all 30 pages of this thread, I've gathered that sheltered ferrets usually came with donated cages the shelter may not need. I would rather get a used setup from the shelter and maybe make a donation than buy a brand new setup. (I do have the money to get one, it just seems a waste if the shelter has several). If I put on the form that I would be interested in this - would it make me look like a cheapskate/ slob and they wouldn't want to adopt to me? It's not at all "usual" that ferrets come with cages from shelters. It happens, but it's not the normal case. In my experience you usually get some toys or blankets, particularly ones that the ferrets you adopt used, and sometimes some food samples. You can ask, for sure, but that might not be a thing you put on the form, maybe in person. But you'll have to be prepared to get a cage from somewhere else like craigslist, or new. Also you want FerretNation cages because they are the best cages.
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| # ? Aug 4, 2011 00:29 |
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Myrddin Emrys posted:Also you want FerretNation cages because they are the best cages. I want one so hard.
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| # ? Aug 4, 2011 01:14 |
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^^^^^the new shelf design is aaaaaaawesomeeeeeee you should splurge. Sometimes they go on sale on ferret depot for crazy discounts. Some person told me they got a double level for $120! Most shelters will sell you a donated cage at a discounted rate. We sell cages for 50% of the market price used, or 75% if it's brand new (we do get those donated). They aren't so much asking what type of cage you are planning on, but whether or not you actually plan on caging them and how often they will be out of the cage etc etc etc. No, it won't make you look like a cheapskate. It really doesn't make sense to spend more on something just for the sake of spending more on it! Plus, you can play up the "I want this money to go to the shelter, not a big cage company" angle. 
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| # ? Aug 4, 2011 01:50 |
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Thanks for the advice, the used cages are what I meant. I would rather the shelter get the money, but probably best to ask them in person. I just don't want to be caught with the ferrets to bring home but no where to put them.
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| # ? Aug 4, 2011 01:59 |
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CompactFanny posted:^^^^^the new shelf design is aaaaaaawesomeeeeeee you should splurge. Sometimes they go on sale on ferret depot for crazy discounts. Some person told me they got a double level for $120! Ferret Depot doesn't seem to have FN cages listed. Also, is the new one the 182 as opposed to the 142?
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| # ? Aug 4, 2011 03:12 |
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No, the 182 is the model with the connecting pieces like on a Critter Nation- no tools required, they slide into place rather than using screws. ALL their models now come with the updated version of the shelf, which is a drop-in liner rather than that weird slide-into-the-corners thing. You're right, I was thinking of ferret.com. Posting again while the subcu fluids warm up for Nellie, who is crashing randomly and fast. At nearly 8 years old, I thought this would happen sooner, but now I'm not ready.  disclaimer: if your ferret is acting sick, take it to the vet (where we may be going tonight anyways)
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| # ? Aug 4, 2011 04:11 |
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Myrddin Emrys posted:Also you want FerretNation cages because they are the best cages. After having our ferrets for about 6 months, we decided to buy a Ferret Nation cage and it is indeed the best. Unfortunately we live in Denmark so we had to have it shipped from the Netherlands which was too expensive to even think about. Word of advice though, never leave FN platforms uncovered (people make covers and sell them on ebay/other places). The piece of the actual plastic platform slides under these bars to stay in place and our fuzzies have the tendency to go right up to the edge and jump down, getting their toes caught under the bars. It's horrifying
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| # ? Aug 4, 2011 14:36 |
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CompactFanny posted:Posting again while the subcu fluids warm up for Nellie, who is crashing randomly and fast. At nearly 8 years old, I thought this would happen sooner, but now I'm not ready. Awww, I hope she's ok. 
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| # ? Aug 4, 2011 22:06 |
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starfish posted:Word of advice though, never leave FN platforms uncovered (people make covers and sell them on ebay/other places). The piece of the actual plastic platform slides under these bars to stay in place and our fuzzies have the tendency to go right up to the edge and jump down, getting their toes caught under the bars. It's horrifying This is exactly what I'm talking about! The new shelf design entirely eliminates this problem. Midwest is really great about listening to customers' reviews, and these toe-catching corners were a HUGE issue with the original design. Fortunately they scrapped those and the new ones are great, and they even come with ramp covers! Thanks Serella. Nellie's hanging in there, feeling a lot better than yesterday but still fighting that stupid ulcer.
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| # ? Aug 4, 2011 23:36 |
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Can you order the new shelves separately? They're so easy to clean when they're not covered.
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| # ? Aug 5, 2011 01:13 |
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CompactFanny posted:Thanks Serella. Nellie's hanging in there, feeling a lot better than yesterday but still fighting that stupid ulcer. Glad to hear it. After my recent experience with ferret ulcers, I completely sympathize. Jak seems to be pretty well recovered from his bout with ulcers, but he's going in for a check-up within the next two weeks to be sure. Today was his very last dose of medicine (the amoxicilin was 10 days), and I'm sure he'll be sad not to have his extra treats every day. Now, to fatten him back up. Also, a question for anyone who has any experience with this, which I will also ask the vet when we go soon. Is lactobacillus acidophilus ok for a ferret who is recovering/has recently recovered from ulcers? I ask because the duck soup mix contains it, and while I'm normally a proponent of probiotics, I'm a little gun-shy about giving acidic bacterial supplements to a ferret who just recovered from ulcers caused by bacteria.
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| # ? Aug 5, 2011 02:26 |
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Hey weasel people...the National Zoo's black-footed ferret cam is back online: Ferret babies! I had a really bad day at work today, but the little squirmy weasel babies made it all okay 
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| # ? Aug 5, 2011 02:35 |
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Serella posted:Also, a question for anyone who has any experience with this, which I will also ask the vet when we go soon. Is lactobacillus acidophilus ok for a ferret who is recovering/has recently recovered from ulcers? I ask because the duck soup mix contains it, and while I'm normally a proponent of probiotics, I'm a little gun-shy about giving acidic bacterial supplements to a ferret who just recovered from ulcers caused by bacteria. Totally fine. Some people actually start using it when they suspect ulcers, as it's supposed to help get everything back to normal faster. We lost Nellie.
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| # ? Aug 5, 2011 20:18 |
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CompactFanny posted:Totally fine. Some people actually start using it when they suspect ulcers, as it's supposed to help get everything back to normal faster. I'm so sorry, CF. 
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| # ? Aug 5, 2011 20:28 |
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starfish posted:Can you order the new shelves separately? They're so easy to clean when they're not covered. My ferrets just actively uncover things. They HATE cage decoration. It's bizarre. They like functional things like beds and hammocks, but if I put some loose t-shirt shreddings or blankets in there they just take it and throw it in their litter box and poop on it. I've taken this to mean "I don't like this."
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| # ? Aug 8, 2011 15:18 |
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starfish posted:Can you order the new shelves separately? They're so easy to clean when they're not covered. Yes. Here you go.
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| # ? Aug 9, 2011 03:17 |
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Ok, so I know raccoons make terrible pets, but...OMG SO CUTE. I can't stop watching. I would never keep a raccoon or let even a very tame one near my ferrets, but omg look at them doing the groomies 
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| # ? Aug 10, 2011 21:53 |
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That raccoon probably thinks he's grooming his smelly, inexplicably longer and thinner sibling. A few days ago marked our 1-year ownership of our big doof Cookie, who took her annual shots like a champ even though she whimpered and complained the whole time. The vet scruffed her to give her the rabies/distemper vaccines; I was helping and I'm not sure exactly how my finger ended up by her mouth, but she took it lightly and just held on, not biting, but just wanting to hold on to someone. It reminded me of a little kid needing to hold onto their mom or dad's hand at the doctor's office during a shot. A less positive note was the vet's outlook on her tail's hair loss; it's not complete, but she's definitely got a little bit of thinning hair and partly-visible rat tail for about an inch at the terminal end of her tail. He said that even at 16 months of age she's not too young for adrenal issues at all and that we should keep an eye on it; the summer shedding season will reveal progressive hair loss in future years if it is something related to a hormonal imbalance. Odds are it could honestly be seasonal hair loss (I didn't know "tail alopecia" was an actual concept) and he gave us a cheap, effective anti-itch spray with colloidal oatmeal to help bring oils back to the tail in case that was the root cause of it. I'm sure he's also doomsaying a bit because he's one of the only ferret vets in the area recommended by our local shelter and he ran a shelter himself a while back, so he's probably seen it all. Still, it's sort of a sobering concept to consider.
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| # ? Aug 12, 2011 11:24 |
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ElectricSheep posted:A less positive note was the vet's outlook on her tail's hair loss; it's not complete, but she's definitely got a little bit of thinning hair and partly-visible rat tail for about an inch at the terminal end of her tail. He said that even at 16 months of age she's not too young for adrenal issues at all and that we should keep an eye on it; the summer shedding season will reveal progressive hair loss in future years if it is something related to a hormonal imbalance. I'm going through exactly the same thing with Captain Awesome. I actually just talked to the vet yesterday, who despite me only going in ONCE has been following up on Awesome at regularly monthly intervals via email. I think we got lucky in that the hair loss stopped at the tail and 8 months after the hair loss started we're seeing some slight regrowth and no other warning signs. He's still the same energetic little guy he always was. His hairloss started at the tip of the tail and worked it's way down to the base, and now the tip has fur again.
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| # ? Aug 12, 2011 13:07 |
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I was trying to get a picture of weaselface drinking my tea, but instead I got the most "Excuse me WTF are you doin" face expression.  Bonus laser eyes.
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| # ? Aug 13, 2011 03:39 |
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Rhizoid posted:I was trying to get a picture of weaselface drinking my tea, but instead I got the most "Excuse me WTF are you doin" face expression. Is that...is that elephant next to him a pipe? 
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| # ? Aug 13, 2011 14:24 |
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Okay, so I need to clean my desk before posting pictures to the internet I see. I found her like this, by the way. Had to wait for her to climb out of it herself since re-stringing is a pain.
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| # ? Aug 13, 2011 16:02 |
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And now she knows you can't reach her in there. Hope there's no poop in your guitar! 
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| # ? Aug 13, 2011 18:38 |
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It seems like Jak is not as completely cured as I had thought. He had a little episode of nausea last night -- he didn't throw anything up and he wasn't foaming like he had been before, but he's definitely going back to the vet this week. He ate a whole syringe full of duck soup when I offered it to him and he seems to be gaining weight back, so hopefully it won't be too hard to fix. And hopefully it won't be a chronic problem.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2011 13:19 |
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Did the vet check his blood sugar when you went last time?
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| # ? Aug 14, 2011 15:03 |
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CompactFanny posted:Did the vet check his blood sugar when you went last time? Yes, it was fine. The first day after his treatment started, he had much more energy than before and he still does. He's eating just fine, there have been no tarry stools, and this is the only time I've seen a recurrence of the nausea. I was planning on taking him in for a follow-up anyway, but now I'm more concerned.
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| # ? Aug 14, 2011 21:35 |
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Nausea can be indicative of a sugar drop, especially if he is eating well. Ulcers will cause ferrets to become anorexic, that's pretty much how you tell they have one. When your vet took the sugar, how long had it been since he'd last eaten? Do you remember the value? Fasting blood glucose in a healthy ferret should be between about 90-120mg/dl, but right after a meal it could go up to 200, taking about 4 hours before the value is considered "fasting blood" again. He might have more energy because you've been giving him duck soup regularly. Sometimes supplemental meals like this are all it takes to fight back the sugar crashes, and the longer you can keep an insulinomic ferret off of steroids the better. If you (and other ferret owners) have the time and energy, morning and evening duck soup is an awesome habit to get into. It helps keep their sugar stable, weight up, and gives you an avenue for medicines when you need to administer them. Plain Hills A/D (this is Rx) mixed with water is great for this. You can also add mushed up regular kibble, ferretvite or nutrical, and some people go balls to the wall with stuff like duck fat, whole chicken, gizzards, livers, all kinds of fun stuff.
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| # ? Aug 15, 2011 01:32 |
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| # ? May 26, 2013 03:29 |
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I have a dumb question or two regarding the three white ferrets my girlfriend and I have (Hank, Dean, and Manny). They're definitely her ferrets, but since she works nights, I tend to keep an eye on the little men for most of the day and I just want to make sure things are kosher. First, we have a large, large ferret cage (the kind that's essentially two cages stacked one upon the other), but we have no ramps or ledges or anything like that. Apparently two or so years ago, Dean managed to fall and wedge his right foreleg into the gap between the cage and a ramp, pretty much shattering it. As a result, the girlfriend is incredibly leery about setting up ramps again. Are the ferrets being quietly miserable at being on only one level, or does this not really matter considering they're meat-socks with brains? Second, the same ferret, Dean, has been pretty lethargic lately, content to just eat and then scamper off somewhere to sleep. He's perky enough when he wants out of the cage, and I've been taking care to make sure that the other two ferrets aren't pushing him out of the way to eat (he's scrawny), but he doesn't seem too terribly playful lately. Could it just be that I'm not letting them out at times when they should be most active? Also, a vet visit a few months ago verified that he had a swollen spleen, and after he ate I felt a very firm almost bone-like area on his right side of his abdomen just below his ribs. Could this just be a full stomach, or is it something with the spleen? He has had swelling of the abdomen since his vet visit, which varies, but could this just be because he's scrawny compared to the other two ferrets? There's about 1/2-3/4lb difference between him and the largest ferret, Manny. Any help would be hugely appreciated, I read through this thread a while back, so I apologize if this sort of thing has already been answered/is common to ferrets. BlueDiablo fucked around with this message at Aug 15, 2011 around 05:30 |
| # ? Aug 15, 2011 04:39 |
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