QUESTION:
Our one year old Ralph woke up this morning and suddenly began vomiting.? This lasted for about 3 minutes.? After that he was just hiding in a cover. We were really worried about him, but then all the sudden when one of us walked to our bedroom? (no ferret zone) he jumped up all happy and raced us into the room and just hopped around in there like nothing happened.? I was worried about a blockage, but he doesn't chew on things and we give him laxative about once a week to keep up with his shedding.? He's been eating regularly and going to the bathroom normally. There was a lot of vomit and it looked like food, so we were thinking (and hoping) that the only problem was the food had gone bad somehow.? If you can think of why he would seem so sick one moment and so happy the next, or if you think anything is wrong, I'd love your advice.

ANSWER:
It sounds as if he could have got some of his food stuck and it all came back. Has he had anymore episodes since yesterday? Sometimes ferrets eat too fast and the food does not digest and they end up vomiting. As long as he does not keep doing it he should be fine, it can happen on occasion. Do make sure that your food is fresh and when you open a new bag make sure it is sealed, to keep fresh. Also change food in his dish everyday so it does not sit and go stale. Do not buy huge bags of food, unless you can separate and keep sealed, with some frozen if it is going to last a long time. If he continues to vomit then you will need to take him to the vet for a checkup.

QUESTION:
Hi, my ferret is vomiting and I don't know why. He is not really active either. What should I do?

ANSWER:
How old is he? Could he have chewed on any rubber, such as toys, sneakers, rubber bands, balloons etc.. Normally ferrets only vomit when they have an obstruction which can be caused by rubber objects, cloth and even hairball's(has he been shedding?).

Whatever the cause you need to take him to the vet, if it is a blockage then he could die if you do nothing. He could also have some serious digestive problems so an exam by a ferret knowledgeable vet should be able to determine why he is vomiting.

Are you leaving food for him at ALL times? Sometimes a ferret left without food will devour his food too quickly and will then vomit. Also make sure the food is fresh each day and not 'out of date' as this too could cause vomiting if food is bad.

Since you said the ferret is very lethargic, is he eating at all and is he drinking? Until you can get him to the vet you might want to try giving him some chicken baby food mixed with a little water, but please get him to the vet asap.

QUESTION:
My ferret is about 4 years old and lately I notice she is throwing up quite a bit. Any clues to what this might be? I see her struggling trying to throw up. Could it be hair-balls? I never see her licking her self like a cat though. I know my mother use to give our cat mineral oil for this probelm. Your advice would be deeply appreciated.

ANSWER:
Is your ferret actually vomiting or just trying? She could have a hairball which has built up overtime, it would not be good to give her a laxative at this point, it might cause more damage.

My advice would be to take her to the vet. He can do an Xray and although the obstruction may not show, there will be a lot of gas. Has she eaten any rubber toys or fabric from blankets, these will also cause blockages. Sometimes they can be there for a longtime before actually blocking the stomach or intestines.

The other concern I have is, if she is just heaving or pawing at the mouth, this is due to hypoglycemia (low blood sigar) the ferret will feel nauseated when hungry. If this is the case then you should ask your vet to check her blood glucose. Until then you can give her GERBERS BABYFOOD(blue label) CHICKEN or TURKEY, give her 3-4 teaspoons twicw a day, warm it with a little water.

If it is her blood glucose that is low the chicken will help to level it off and keep it from dropping so quickly. Your vet will advise you about the need for medicine to control her sugar level.

QUESTION:
Hi my name is Rachele and I am the proud owner of 8 ferrets. I love them so much!!! They eat and sleep well and play for 4-5 hours a day. My question is what could make them throw up? They don't do it a lot. They are a little over a year old and each on has done it at least twice in there live time. Could it be hair balls? I give them ferret lax once a week and a vitamin every 3 days. They act fine. I know a man who also has allot of ferrets and he said his has never done that. It would cost a lot to take them all to the vet but it could be done. Should I be worried? Please e mail me if you have the time.

ANSWER:
There are a few reasons why ferrets vomit, usually it is because of an obstruction (ferrets love to chew on rubber and sometimes cloth), however if this was the case, the ferret would continue to vomit, or go completely off his food and you would see little elimination at the other end.

What you are describing sounds more like the ferret has eaten too rapidly and the food has not been digested, you can tell if this is so by looking at what is expelled, does it look like food. Another reason a ferret will vomit food is if the food may be rancid, too old, or left in the dish too long.

Food should be given fresh each day, or should not be left longer than two days, many foods are preserved with vitamin E which will go rancid. Also food should be available all the time as the ferret will eat small meals often. If the ferret should go hungry he may bolt his food down and this will then cause him to vomit.

If the vomit is clear, or foamy liquid, it could be a hairball, but once again you would need to watch that it comes out the other end, as hairballs often cause obstructions and have to be removed surgically. Sometimes a ferret can have an obstruction that will move around in the stomach and this often times will cause ulcers, however once again you would be able to tell as the ferret would have difficulty eating and would grind his teeth!

My advice would be to watch each ferret carefully, making sure they are eating regularly and eliminating normally, if you suspect a problem then separate that ferret from the others and monitor his actions. If you suspect any of the problems that I mentioned then it will be best to contact your veterinarian.