Ferrets....

1. ADRENAL TUMORS--A tumor forms on the adrenal gland inside the abdomen and produces excess cortisol (steroid) and causes:

Your ferret can be managed medically with Lupron injections and/or Melatonin or be referred to a specialist for surgery to remove the adrenal tumor.  Please note that treatment for adrenal tumors in ferrets is NOT the same as dogs and those medications can be deadly.

2. INSULINOMAS--A tumor in the pancreas that causes too much insulin to be secreted, thus dropping the blood sugar.  Signs of low blood sugar include lethargy, salivation, seizures, and comas.  Most people say their ferret acts "drunk".  Emergency treatment involves forcing a sugary solution into your ferrets mouth (karo syrup, pancake syrup or NUTRICAL).  Your veterinarian will run blood tests to confirm low blood sugars.  Many ferrets are managed with prednisone after diagnosis.

3. LYMPHOMA--Cancer of the Lymph Nodes and White Blood Cells...There are two presentations of lymphosarcoma in the ferret - a rapidly progressive lymphoblastic form which is most common in ferrets under 2 years of age, and a more chronic form which affects ferrets 5-7 years of age. 

The "classic" form of lymphosarcoma causes marked enlargement of the lymph nodes.  Late in the course of disease, neoplastic lymphocytes invade visceral organs (including the liver, kidney, lungs, and spleen) resulting in organ failure and death. This disease is usually insidious, resulting in little clinical debility until extensive infiltration of visceral organs has occurred.

The juvenile form is quite different. In this disease, large immature lymphocytes quickly infiltrate the thymus, spleen, liver, and many other organs. Little to no lymph node replacement is seen in these cases.  One of the more common presentations is dyspnea (trouble breathing) and is often mis-diagnosed as cardiomyopathy or pneumonia. The lesion in this syndrome is actually a rapidly growing thymic mass which compresses the lungs.

While prednisone may result in initial clinical improvement, more aggressive forms of chemotherapy increase the chances of inducing remission.

Ferrets are also prone to intestinal blockages and hairballs.  Many ferrets chew items that present the risk of intestinal blockage and death if ingested. Objects made of soft rubber, foam, or sponge are the leading cause of obstructions.   Latex and hard rubber dog toys, foam rubber cat balls, rubber bands, foam ear plugs, pencil erasers, chunks of "flip flop" thongs, soles from shoes, foam weather-stripping or insulation, rubber feet from small appliances or telephones, etc., remote control buttons, foam insulation around sports bottles, foam rubber cushions or matresses, and Styrofoam cups or packing "peanuts", have all been eaten by ferrets. If ingestion occurs, sometimes dosing the ferret with a cat hairball laxative paste may help the foreign matter to be passed, but if this is unsuccessful, surgical removal is probably necessary. If a ferret is vomiting due to an obstruction, it is a medical emergency.

Ear mites, fleas and heartworm are also a concern in ferrets.  Advantage may be used on ferrets to kill fleas while some use Revolution to take care of all three diseases.

Aleutian disease virus (ADV)  is a parvovirus discovered among mink in the Aleutian Islands in the early 20th century. In ferrets, the virus affects the immune system (causing it to produce non-neutralizing antibodies) and many internal organs, particularly the kidneys. There is no cure or vaccine and ferrets may carry the virus for months or years without any signs.