My poor sick ferret, Ike.(What to do?)

[Queen of Poop]

Firstly, I am so excited that he's eating soup and drinking on his own. You've done so well with him!!! Big hugs to you and your wee boy.

The heater might take the chill off but won't really warm him up. What I have for Sebastian, since he's a lone ferret now, is a pad I bought at the petstore that is for cats recovering from surgery. It gets warm from his body and keeps that warm in the core of the pad. He loves it. It's rather large so I fold it in half and put a fleece blanket in the middle for him to snuggle into. This is where he spends all night now that it's colder here.

Ferrets also like to cuddle up in the sleeves of old sweatshirts. If you threw a couple of those in the cage in their beds, etc. that might help too. Nothing quite so cute as a ferret sound asleep in the sleeve of a sweatshirt with only his little nose poking out.

Once Ike gets some weight back on and hopefully grows some hair he won't shiver quite so much either.

[GenDebra]

I wrote the response "Lupron to the Rescue," though it seemed to be appended to "Queen of Poop's" posting somehow. I am new on here, and still figuring out how this works....

I am so sorry he's not recovering more quickly. But thrilled at the progress you are making. That is so exciting! Our little furries have such wonderful personalities, it is so hard to lose them .... I lost my little Bandit 3 years ago, and I still miss her. My remaining 4 were depressed quite awhile after that.

I know some ferrets will not eat anything new, especially if they don't feel well. Another thing you might try, which may not have quite the punch as "chicken soup" but he may be more likely to eat, is a simple broth. You know the crumbs and powder found in the bottom of the bag of ferret food? Dissolve that in warm water. It's a familiar flavor. You can start him with an eyedropper full, to perk up his appetite. Then move on to some in a bowl with ferretone added. Bit by bit, add more ferretone, then solids. My bunch also like stew. At the end of our dinner, we take tiny scraps of meat and mix that into the broth. You can be pretty inventive, as long as the base flavor is familiar. For a more novel treat, a tiny bit of vanilla yoghurt is good. My 4 love it. It's super easy to digest, and the enzymes are good for tummy problems.

I am glad the Lupron injections are helping. They do take a few days to a week to start working. But then there is steady improvement. The eyedropper routine can be a hassle, but doing it repeatedly through the day is worth saving his life. And it wouldn't be the first "fur-person" who lived due to this routine. I know, it doesn't seem right to force him, but you should do what's best, just like with kids - whether they like it or not. Fuzzies are really smart. They'll realize later it was your efforts that saved their lives. My Butterscotch can attest to that.

The suggestion for the "after surgery" pad is excellent. And it works. They can be found at places like petsmart or petco. Do they have those shops there? Also, ferrets like to burrow. You can take a shoebox (lid fixed on), basket, or anything similar, poke a small hole in it with a knife, then use the hole to tie it to the side of the cage so it won't get knocked over. Then fill it full of scraps of towels, blankets, or similar materials. Using the shoe box cut a round hole in one side just big enough for a ferret to go through. Initially, you may have to place your baby in it, but once discovered, they'll love it. Both Butterscotch and Latte use this kind of arrangement, and don't get cold anymore. Butterscotch burrows to the bottom, and Latte rolls up right in the middle of his "blankets."

Ferrets are very sensitive creatures. They can get depressed. And like people, feeling an emotional attachment can speed their recovery. I have lot of hammocks, sleepsacks, and other store-bought ferret toys and sleeping arrangements. But an old shirt you have worn and not washed added to their bedroom can quickly become a favorite blanket. I even confiscated a pair of my husband's socks for my little ones. They seem to find our personal items comforting.

Also. Does your little one shiver all the time? Or just when they are waking up? Many ferrets experience what is known as "death sleep." They sleep so deeply, that their body temperature literally drops, so they wake up cold. Even when it's not cold outside. Butterscotch is like this. I can pick her up, carry her all over the house, pose her, do whatever I want, and she doesn't wake up sometimes for ten minutes. Then when she come to, she'll shiver for several minutes before warming up, then is ready to take off.

A space heater may or may not help enough. One close to the cage is probably not a good idea. It causes a too localized temperature change. With a weakened system, your baby could catch cold. And the heat can dry the skin and make him itchy. On rare occasions when it gets too chilly in my little ones' room, I'll put a space heater in a far corner on high, then an oscillating fan in front of it to move the air around evenly. It seems to help, though admittedly, I am unsure how much.

Anyway, I hope these ideas help. And I applaud your efforts! I know my little guys are worth it! Let us know how you are progressing!

Debbie - "GenDebra". Mom to Latte, Butterscotch, Tony, And Thunder.

[husky_lover]

Well My baby Ike is doing alot better he will now go and play with the others during "free time". But a couple of days ago his life long buddy Eli died in his sleep. I don't know why he was actually my more healthy fuzzy. Now Ike is very depressed but is still eating and playing with his other furry friends Lila and Grimlin. All my fuzzies are on the upper side of 9 years old. I've read that ferrets only live to about 6 years. I'm not complaining by any means but is my babies living this long normal?
Oh, Ike has now lost every single strand of hair on his body!!!!! Yes he shivers all the time. But I do know that he does go into the "death sleep" The first time it happened I was so freaked out! I thought my boy died! It happened about 2 weeks after I brought him home.

[Queen of Poop]

I'm glad Ike is doing better. I'm so very sorry you lost Eli. I believe a ferrets normal life span is 8-10 years. My Sebastian is only 5. Hopefully after a few more lupron shots Ike will start to grow his hair back. Make sure he's got lots of warm things to snuggle into. I've seen ferret tshirts at the pet store, maybe he needs a shirt? I'm contemplating that for Sebastian as his hair loss progresses, now his bum is completely naked.

[GenDebra]

I am soooo sorry you lost Eli! I know how heart breaking that can be! But if Ike is still eating and playing with the others, I am sure the worst is over for him.

As far as the Lupron shots go, you should start to see positive changes a week or so after the first shot. But it takes typically 2-4 weeks for new hair growth to begin. Oh, well! My Butterscotch got her first shot about 10 days ago. Still no new fur on her backside. Tony and Thunder got their shots at the same time. They've had shots before, and were only missing hair on their tails. Both of them have begun their regrowth.

From what I have studied and learned, if your ferrets are gotten from reputable dealers and have good breeding (genetics do make a difference), 8-10 years is a pretty typical lifespan. With outstanding breeding and the best care, 12 years is not uncommon. I think the maximum I've heard of is 15 years. So you have lots more love and fun to look forward to!

Ferret clothes are a great idea. My babies love them, but only for a bit before they take them off. Oh, well. Have you tried www.theferretstore.com ? They have tons of great stuff. Shipping fees are minimal, and of course there is no tax unless you live in their warehouse's state. They have clothes, food, cages, toys, everything you could want for ferrets. I have shopped there almost exclusively for the last 6 years. They have expanded to include cats, dogs, and other small animals in their store. So it's a pretty cool place. No, I don't work for them. But I guess I do sound like an advertisement!

Again, I'm glad Ike is doing better. Please keep us all posted. We're praying for you!

"GenDebra" - Debbie, mom to Latte, Butterscotch, Tony and Thunder

[husky_lover]

I thought I'd give an update on how poor Ike is doing. I've made in a coat out of a old flannel shirt which he keeps on to my suprise. He is now compleatly bald! not one strand of hair on him anywhere. But good news is that Ike is now eating regular food and is as playful as ever. He even gets mad at his brother and sister when they try to crawl into is coat! It's so cute!!! I think he knows that if he takes it off he will get cold. He did give me a scare the other day though. He went into the "Death sleep" I was so freaked out!!! I thought I lost him. Thank you all for your prayers!!!

[Queen of Poop]

Thanks for the update. He may be completely bald as this is the season for them to shed. You may find that he will regrow hair soon. Maybe. At least this is the reasoning my vet had last night for Sebastian, who is losing all of his hair too. I'm glad to hear Ike will keep his coat on. I will soon need to do the same for Sebastian. Prayers and crossed fingers for continued good health and some hair growth!!

[husky_lover]

well, I've got good news! Ike is doing 100 times better than he was before.
The shots are working great for him although he hasn't grown any hair back yet. On his whole body I think he has maybe 4 hairs..... Anyhow he is doing wonderful.

[GenDebra]

I am soooo glad Ike is doing better!!! The shots begin to take effect in about 2 weeks. But like a human baby, the hair sometimes takes a long time to regrow. You'll see "peach fuzz" first. after awhile, it becomes downy. Then finally, they get their regular fur back. It may take several months the first time. But the process is faster with subsequent shots.

Hang in there! every furry life is very much worth saving. I just lost my "Lover-Latte" a week ago today. He had a heart attack. Latte clenched his front paws over his chest, threw his head back and screamed. Poor little boy! My other three ran to his rescue. They hugged him, and licked him, but when their comforting didn't work, they all ran and hid behind me. It was horrible. I had to take him to be put to sleep. It was apparent there was no coming out of this one.

Like humans, our furry friends need extra TLC to get through their grief. So I've been giving my babies lots of extra hugs. They take turns sleeping in Latte's bed. Ther are still somewhat subdued, and not eating quite as much as normal, but they are beginning to get past it.

But it sounds like you have done an outstanding job with Ike. And you are much to be commended. We'll continue to pray for Ike's complete recovery, as well as warm winter fur!

[husky_lover]

I'm sooo sorry about your baby! I hope the others will get past this with flying colors! Thanks for the prayers on Ike! I'll pray for you little ones also! Thanks for the info about his fur growing back. I can't wait to see my boy how he SHOULD be.