Red/pink skin?

[Deleted]

I took Fez to my work (petco)'s low cost vaccination clinic that comes in every few weeks to get his rabies shot. I take him in here and there to play with my co-workers, and one of them noticed yesterday that his skin was looking pretty red. I hadn't noticed it that red before, and come to think of it, he has been itching and scratching a lot the past few weeks... I mentioned it to the vet as she checked him over before the rabies shot, and she said he looked pretty red, possibly an allergy? 

We tried to get him to hold still to get some photos, but you can't see it as well in the pictures. It's all over him, some spots more obvious than others depending on his fur thickness. What does this mean for him? How do I figure the allergy?? Vet suggested some benadryl (?), but is that going to then need to be an every day thing for him? Without figuring out the allergy? Or is it not an allergy and we're looking at something worse...?? That was the other thing the vet was confused by, because he's only young (20 weeks today), and an allergy needs prior exposure first??

[Deleted]

Is the rash only on his back? Have you seen signs anywhere else, like on his belly or chin,lips, groin or rectal area.

I would look around and see if you have used a fragrance laundry soap or he has come into contact with some allergy inducing product, like something with Pine.

To relieve his itching a Colloidal Oatmeal bath will help, so will some pure aloe.
That will only relieve his symptoms, you still need to find the cause of the rash.
I would be hesitant about Benadryl. Here is a discussion on Benadryl:

holisticferret60.proboards.com/thread/16342/benadryl-reaction

If the rash continues, I think you should find a ferret vet. It really makes a difference what type of Vet that you see. It sounds like your Petco vet means well, but has she had enough experience with ferrets.

I hope you find your answer and Fez feels better soon.

[bitbyter]

Wilma gets pink skin when her dose of pred is coming due. My first guess would be an allergy or it could just be excitement. Ferrets skin is white so if their blood is pumping hard their skin can flush. I'd keep an eye on it and see if it commonly reoccurs (check during sleep, normal movement and play). Usually when I see it on Wilma her itchiness increases as well.

[Deleted]

It's not really a rash, just all red. It's not bumpy or flaky or dry, just... red/pink. His belly wasn't as red, but not sure.




I haven't done laundry in probably a month now (gross, I know... student budget with no laundry on site!). I can't think of anything out of the ordinary he's come in contact with, nothing with pine at all.

The vet did warn me on the benadryl, saying cats have a very odd and crazy reaction to it, she wasn't sure how a ferret would take it, so she said it with caution - which is why I wanted to mention it here first.

She's not the petco vet, they're a vet/small animal vet, we usually send most of our small animals at the store to their location, but the male vet (it's his practice), is a jerk and we've stopped seeing him haha. But I still like the female vet, but if I can't find the skin reddening source I'll have to definitely scout out a focused ferret vet.

[Deleted]

One other thought and I'm tagging katt and Sherry for this one, is possibly Adrenal. I haven't dealt with that, but his fur looks a little sparse and they do get itchy.

[Deleted]

@poncesmom, Fez is young (a couple months old if I am correct), ferrets that young can't get Adrenal can they? Or is it just unlikely?

[Deleted]

@julesalot, I have no experience at all with Adrenal. Only what I read here (knock on wood), so that's why I tagged everyone. Maybe you can help with that, you've dealt with Adrenal before.
I would be super happy to find that Fez is too young for Adrenal, Thanks Emily. (dance)

[Deleted]

From Dr. Foster & Smith on Adrenal

"Adrenal disease is most common in ferrets over the age of three years, but it can affect ferrets as young as a year old."

So if Fez is under a year, I'd say that would probably put him in the clear for Adrenal, but we'll let the other Senior Members chime in and help on that.
Does he have any other symptoms? Symptoms list-


Hair loss, either in a symmetrical pattern or patchy with no apparent pattern *
Thinning hair
Loss of appetite
Lethargy
Papery thin or translucent looking skin, sometimes with sores from scratching
Excessive scratching and itchiness
Increase in musky body odor
Excessive grooming of self or other ferrets, including ear sucking
Sexual aggression and mating behavior in neutered males - with other ferrets, inanimate objects, etc.
Swollen vulva in spayed females
Difficulty urinating for males - this is a sign of an enlarged prostate, a condition usually associated with adrenal disease
Weakness in back legs - usually seen in advanced or extreme cases
Increased thirst, increased urination
Weight loss due to a decrease in muscle mass, but with a pot bellied appearance


I think it's probably just some irritation, what do you use to wash his bedding? Do you use candles, air fresheners, certain cleaners?
I would start with laundry detergent, use a different kind, I use the Hypo-Allergenic Laundry detergent, I think by "All". You can switch to some more natural.
If you use something like Febreeze, stop using it altogether for about a week or two, and see if it helps. If not, stop using lets say a candle you burn a lot for a week or two. If no change, stop using something else.

Do you bathe him?
How are his poops?
Is he on raw? If so, how long has he been on raw?
Does he eat different proteins (ie: Chicken & Pork & Beef)
If he eats more than one protein, how long ago did you introduce that protein?

[Deleted]

Wow, so many things to consider!


Okay... Yeah I was a bit worried after reading things on Adrenal and skin color, but given he's only 20 weeks old I wasn't too worried.... but perhaps I should be?

As for that symptom list - none of those except the scratching/itchiness mostly.

I haven't washed his bedding. He currently doesn't have any bedding, still going through litter box training stuff so he's not nothing in the bottom. Only bedding is his hammock beds and stuff, which I haven't yet washed. He tore one apart and I replaced it, but the torn apart one could use a wash, he still uses it....

I don't use candles, but I was recently given one of those "Scentsy" warmers (to help with ferret smell in my apartment), but I'm not sure if that was around the same time as his itching started, and I really don't turn it on that often either. Maybe once or twice a week for a few hours, that's it.

- I haven't ever given him a bath yet, no.
- His poops are always different, but fine as far as I know (I assume anyways).
- He's been eating raw since I brought him home at 9 weeks, it was just introducing him to things slowly, but he's been completely raw for maybe a month now, still getting all the amounts of everything right, different proteins are in there though, yes. Chicken, CGH, pork, beef - I think that's as much as we've tried so far. The newest protein was beef (it's just beef heart), and only last week. But he's been itching longer than that. Longer than the CGH too. Chicken was first, and no issues, pork has been awhile as well, much longer than the itching..

[katt]

It's probably not adrenal. Fez is very young (yes we do see AD younger and younger sadly), and he doesn't show other symptoms either. An allergy seems very possible to me - it could be dietary or environmental. You could try protein trials for diet, but first I would try changing environmental factors. Switch your laundry detergent to All Free and Clear. Vaccuum the house, use only very gently cleaners (vinegar and water works well) and do a thorough clean of the spaces he plays in, and his cage. If the spots don't go away, try a protein trial.

I believe you had a switching thread, but you hadn't posted in some time so it may have been closed. If it's still open, your mentor can assist you with a protein trial. If it got closed, you'll have to reapply and start a thread under Diet Transitions in the meanwhile.

[Deleted]

It's probably topical. At twenty weeks, I really wouldn't worry about too much about Adrenal, and I didn't intend to alarm you.

I'll keep an eye out for responses from some Senior Members and make sure this stays up front.

[Deleted]

Yeah for Hurricanekatt responding (dance)
We cross posted.

[Deleted]

I don't think it's Adrenal, it's just always a possibility but being 5 mo and having no other symptoms I wouldn't worry about it.

What was the last protein you introduced, and when did you introduce it?
I agree to try and do enviromental first. I'm not sure of the possibility but, perhaps something that didn't bother him before, is bothering him now?
Maybe what is on you, have you switched shampoos? Lotions? Is there someone who sees Fez often? Maybe they did?

^^(this is why we keep logs written or on a thread, so it's easier, lol)

[Heather]

When did this show up? Before or after the vaccine? If before shame on the vet for giving the vaccine, if after then it could very well be a reaction to the vaccine itself. Remember an allergy is nothing more than a hyper immunity response.
ciao

[Deleted]

Heather it was before the Rabies Vaccine, her Vet checked it over and deemed it "was pretty red" and then I assume gave the rabies shot.