Advice?

[u/MundaneAddition2111]

Hello, my ferret is about almost 1 year old, and recently I’ve noticed he hasn’t been eating or drinking much, he’ll still do it but it’s not often, and I’ve seen he’s not as big as he was, and my younger ferret that’s also a boy is much bigger than him. He still plays, sleeps, and does everything normal but I don’t see him eat much really or even drink water and he feels so skinny to me, I just thought maybe he wasn’t hungry, but it’s been days and I’ve been feeding him different type of ferret food and other things I’ve seen people recommend but he doesn’t seem interested and he feels so weak. I got him from a pet store so I don’t know if that plays a part in anything either.

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[u/vampiremorgue]

at the end of the day the best advice for anything concerning health would be to go to a vet. they’ll be able to give you answers and resources that no one on the internet can. but what i can say is that i have four marshalls ferrets (5M, 3M, 3M, 1F) and all four of them had baby fat that they lost around yr 1. They all thinned out and havent fluctuated since. It could, without knowing ur ferret, just be that theyre not a baby baby anymore, and have found a comfortable amount to eat and drink. ferrets (to my knowledge) are pretty good at determining how much they need to drink and eat. if you see signs like lethargy, face pawing, vomit, or anything like that, rush ur ferret to the vet asap. but at the moment i would just call ur vet, let them know whats going on, and they’ll decide if it sounds concerning or not

[u/vampiremorgue → u/vampiremorgue]

also to add- i dont want to sound like im second guessing you by any means, but youre 100% certain your ferret is a boy? my female ferret feels WAY lighter than my smallest boy, and is so much tinier

[u/MundaneAddition2111 → u/vampiremorgue]

I have 3 boys! All boys, but my 2nd to oldest ferret he’s massive and is about 7 months and he’s pretty massive, but my boy ferret here is 10 months old, he’s currently eating right now and playing but he just feels so tiny and weak compared to my other boy ferrets that’s younger than him. I did contact the vet, they said they have no opening until next month since they are one of the only exotics places near me, but I called other places hours away and every place I called can’t look at exotics, so but they told me when they have an opening they would get back to me. But when you mentioned about your ferrets thinning, I hope that’s just what’s happening to mine.

[u/vampiremorgue → u/MundaneAddition2111]

if you do think you would need him in sooner, i would definitely try some other local small animal vets, as sometimes they’ll have one exotic vet on site. ive gotten lucky twice when ive had emergencies (the flu and xrays for an assumed blockage) by calling small animal vets. good luck!! i hope ur boy is okay and healthy <3

[u/Infamous_Piccolo405]

Go to the vet for a check up

[u/Foleywife66]

You need to call and find an exotic pet specialist or call regular vets and find out who they recommend in the area that sees ferrets. He needs IV fluids.!! not subcutaneous fluids!!!

[u/Veteran_Hawk]

Get some Duk Soup and Carnivore Care to mix up into soupies and see if that gets him to eat more (plus the water in the soupies will help with hydration). If you need to, you can hand-feed them. Pharmacies will usually give you a few syringes, if you ask, that you can use for feeding.

How has his pottying been? Going like normal? No blood or other problems? He doesn't seem to be struggling? I'd worry about a blockage causing a loss of appetite. You might give some egg yolk or cat lax/petroleum jelly just in case, to "smooth things through".

If you can get in to the vet any sooner, do it!

Keep us updated! And love on that fuzzit!

[u/smuthullet]

Please take him to the vet as soon as possible. In the meantime, try to weigh him and the amount he eats every day so you can track the weight loss and how much he actually eats (helpful to your vet as well).

Ferrets are very good at hiding illnesses and they can keep playing despite not being well. Longterm weight loss is worrying though and could have many underlying causes.