Sudden change in behavior and not eating.

[Deleted]

Hi all 

Please can someone give me some advice!!

My girl Ivy, who previously was quite aggressive, has had a sudden change in behavior and has gone back to her old ways in the last couple of days.  She has been noticeably aggressive towards me and my hubby (towards hubby especially) e.g. seeking out our ankles and following us around in an attempt to bite us somehow!! She has been biting every time we hold her which she has not been doing for a month or two now, she also isn't relaxed when being held.  I have also felt like she has been showing a bit more fear than she would usually do, as if she doesn't trust me... there is nothing that would have happened to encourage this.  

Last night, we brought her out with her sister to eat as per usual but she would not eat.  She then went back a little later and had a small amount but not enough.  This morning she would not eat again and had the same attitude problem.  I thought maybe she didn't like the liver we had given to her (she has previously been happy to eat this) and then gave her some kibble; she ate some of this, which relieved me but again she had not as much as she would be needing to eat.  

She isn't particularly tired and is waiting for us when they are due to come out to play and eat.  She is playing with her sister as usual - just seems super grumpy. 

My initial concern is that she is in pain, I know they can mask it well.  Her teeth look fine.  She has a dodgy toenail which she had when i adopted her but i have been keeping this trimmed. I was planning to discuss with my vet when she has a check up. This toe looks a little red but not infected or sore?

She has a little hair loss (not much) on her belly which has been there for a month or two now.  I spoke to my vet about this, after initially panicking that this was adrenal disease, but he reassured me that I was worrying too much.  He also said that if this was a fungal infection perhaps it would look inflamed also. 

I don't really know what to do? Can anyone advise?  I want to take her to a vet but i have a feeling they will just tell me to monitor her?  Is there anything else I can be looking out for??

Thank you!!

[Deleted]

There could be various reasons for this behaviour actually, first thing is it may be boredom.
Young ferrets especially are more likely to bite out of boredom and require alot of out of cage time. How much play and attention does she get? Think it this way, she's purposely seeking you out in order to make you notice her.
However, by reacting you're potentially giving her the reaction she seeks. So instead, try to not react and tell her "No biting!"  She does sound like quite a restless ferret. If she continues, What you can try doing is every time she attacks you, and visibly leaves a mark, or breaks skin is to put her in an empty carrier for no longer than 2 minutes at a time. Be vocal with her and do tell her when something is not tolerated, but be soft and firm with her, because if it is out of fear then the only way you can beat fear based aggression is through love and patience. Always hold her or handle her, or interact with her in some way after time out. Maybe even with a toy, get her playing. The more you handle her, the more she will get used to you and the more likely she will learn to accept your presence. The issue with fear in alot of animals is that it may take time. If Ivy is a rescue, there are chances she may have experienced some form of cruelty, hence her behaviour. If it is fear, the only option is just to be persistent, firm and always loving towards her. It may take alot of time before she opens up and learns to trust you, but its worth it in the end. Don't use loud words, don't shout, don't use physical methods of training, respect and love is the only way for fear aggressive ferrets to overcome their personal battle.

If you leave food in with her, chances are she may have eaten already. Girls don't eat alot compared to boys, so she may be eating a small amount or at least the amount she needs in order to be energetic and playful. It shouldn't be an issue as long as she's eating and you can visibly see she is healthy. Sometimes alittle bit of encouragement and hand feeding may help. It would also help for her to get used to you as well, kind of like a bonding experience when needed.

[Deleted]

@machan thanks for your response and helpful advice. I beleive there may have been previous issues with cruelty as she has a old injury that was picked up by the rescue centre which healed badly. Weve had our girls since December and have been dealing with Ivys behaviour problems through time out in the naughty crate etc. She had completely changed and seemed to be comfortable being handled and had softened to me but she has taken a sudden step back hence the reason I'm concerned that she may be in pain.

Does a sudden change in eating habbit seems like something normal? She ate such a small amount?? She always has such a big appetite.

You may be right about the bordom. We were not able to spend as much time with the girls on Saturday night as we usually do and she seems to have turned since then, but would an evening encourage bad behaviour all of a sudden?

[Deleted]

I think of cruelty cases kind of like how I would think of any one who goes through something traumatic, especially something that causes an injury.
Physical injuries may heal, but its the emotional and even physiological damage done which is the most hardest to heal.

There is also chances that she may be testing her new environment (To see her limits or what she can get away with etc) from her sudden behaviour, so another good thing to keep in mind. If there was an issue with a previous injury healing badly, It may be worth having a vet check her out just to be sure everything is alright now.

Here is a doc on pain symptoms in ferrets.
docs.google.com/document/d/1pewPKsUpVrRQrTtfxDTGqlo3UfIzwTmVf-AqdGwWM80/edit

Changes in appetite can happen seasonally, or even sometimes with weather. Do you weigh out the meals? It may be a good idea to monitor how much she eats, that way you can see the differences in appetite overtime. Some ferrets require more out of cage time than others. When ever you're at home, you can try letting her out in a ferret proofed area while you go about other things. I do this with my guys while I study even if its a quick 10-20 minute play time and are out for another couple of hours later on, it works out quite well.

[Heather]

Where are you located and is your wee jill intact or a sprite? Seasonal needs for diet can indeed be part of the issue but your wee girl is behaving like she's in season? Is this possible?
ciao

[Deleted]

Heather she is a sprite. We are south west of England ☺

Thanks @machan for your advice