Post by eclipso on Mar 15, 2021 12:53:20 GMT -5
Hello! I wanted to make this thread so everyone can find what the normal ferret's body levels should be. I know a few things, but I've had trouble finding information so here is what I know: (correct me if I'm wrong)
- The normal blood-glucose level of a ferret should be 90-120. It can be up to 200 when not fasted. You can find out your ferret's blood-glucose level by taking him to a vet or pricking his finger at home and using a blood-glucose check kit to find out yourself. It's best to do this when the ferret hasn't eaten, but don't fast a ferret more than 4 hours. If you are using a glucometer for humans, the number will be lower. If a ferret has a glucose level under 90 and is not fasted, it could be a sign of insulinoma.
-There should be no urine glucose in your ferret. Glucose in urine can mean a lot of bad things, so you might want to monitor your ferret or take him to the vet. The level of glucose should be less than 1.
- The normal body temperature of a ferret should be 101-103˚ F or 38.3-39.4˚ C. You can find out by using a flexible and fast reading thermometer and checking the temperature like you would in a dog or a cat. I like to coat the thermometer with vaseline so it's more comfortable for my pets. A higher temperature could mean heat stroke or the flu.
-Less red blood cells in the ferret's veins might mean it has an enlarged spleen. This happens when a ferret has problem such as infection, cancer, virus, or disease. You can treat it by getting rid of the problem. You can find out If your ferret has an enlarged spleen with an ultrasound or blood count. A normal packed cell volume (PCV) for red blood cells should be 43-61%. If your ferret has less, something like parasites or problems with bone marrow might be the cause. A PCV less than 25 needs hospitalization and blood transfusions. RBCs in urine should be between 0-3.
- Tissue cells in the urine should not be found. The normal level is 0 or a few. A lot of these cells means that your ferret's urinary tract has been damaged. This can be mild or very serious, so monitor your ferret if you find higher levels of tissue cells in the urine.
- The normal body weight of the ferret should be 1-4 pounds. In females, the weight should be between 1 and 2.5 pounds and males should be between 2-4 pounds.
- Normal length of the ferret should be 18-24 inches. Females are usually smaller than males at 18 inches. The males are usually 24 inches. Your ferret might be bigger or smaller than average, but that should be ok unless the ferret is young and not growing.
- The heart rate of a ferret should be between 180 and 400 beats per minute. There shouldn't be any abnormalities or heart murmurs. If a heart rate is faster, it could be due to an enlarged heart. A lower heart rate could be due to heart block. Provide heat by heated blankets/ water to prevent hypothermia and help the ferret recover.
- Normal ferret breathing rate should be 33-36 breaths per minute. If a ferret is breathing more, it could be tired or have an illness. If the ferret breathes less, it could be because it's sleeping, old, or had sleeping drugs (eg: surgery)
- The normal urine pH depends on the diet of the ferret. On a raw or fresh diet, the pH should be around 5.5-6.5. On a diet of kibble, the pH can be up to 7.5, but a pH this high can cause kidney stones. You can check this with a urine pH strip and a sample of the urine.
- The average time for food to pass the digestive system is 2.5 to 3.6 hours and it takes liquids around 1 hour to pass.
- Ferrets get puberty in early spring, usually 9 months for males and 8-12 months for females (earlier if exposed to light more often or for many hours at night, later if exposed to less light or melatonin)
- Ferret water intake should be given 4 teaspoons of water 3 times a day to stay hydrated. This is 12 teaspoons of water each day. Ferrets don't need much water when fed a raw diet.
-Ferrets will not overeat. They will eat depending to their caloric need. They need 200-300 kcal (normal big calories) per day. If your ferret is eating less, it could be sick. If your ferret eats more, it could be addicted to the food because of added sugar. Females will usually get these calories from their meals. Usually, females must eat 1-3oz of food per day. Males will need 2-4oz.
- Liver ALT is normal at 80-290. That number increases if given steroids. You can get an at home test kit or send it to a lab. Irregular liver ALT can be a sign of liver disease.
- Urobilinogen: A number less than 1 in the urine is ok, but if your ferret has abnormal levels of this, it could be due to anemia.
- Like urobilinogen, a small amount less than 1 is ok, but if bilirubin levels get too high, it can lead to liver disease.
- Your ferret should have no urine protein. If protein is found in the urine at a level of more than 1, it could be due to a disease in the urinary tract or reproductive tract, and kidney damage.
- Lipase can be 0-200 normally. It's created mostly in the stomach and less often in the pancreas. If the number is a lot higher, it could mean that your ferret has IBD. Steroids might increase this level. You can send a blood test to a lab or go to a vet to find out.
- A ferret shouldn't have ketones in their blood or urine. If they do, it means they are burning fat instead of glucose. This could mean your ferret is not eating or that it hasn't eaten in a while. This is also a sign of diabetes. If you are fasting your ferret, don't be alarmed if you find some ketones in it's urine.
- Globulin is made in the stomach as well. The levels range from 2 to 2.9. Increased levels of 3-5 can mean IBD, but if it's higher than 6, it could mean Aleutian Disease instead. It increases if the ferret is dehydrated. You can send a blood test to a lab or vet. Less globulin can mean liver failure.
- A healthy ferret's urine shouldn't have nitrate. If it does, your ferret could have a bacterial infection.
- Urine gravity: this means how dense the urine means. Males have a specific gravity of around 1.051 and females have about 1.042. (these results are based on young intact ferrets only) A normal gravity can range from 1.015-1.055.
- If the white blood cell (aka leukocytes) count is over 10,000 in the blood, your ferret might have cancer. Counting white blood cells can be a great way to detect cancer early in ferrets. An increased white blood cell count up to 5,000 or 8,000 at most can mean that your ferret has DIM. DIM is a disease that can be fatal if left untreated. There should be few or none (levels 0-5) found in the urine. If the levels are high, it could be a bacterial infection.
-Random tips/ info:
- Young, healthy ferrets take ~5 days to recover and old ferrets can take a few weeks
If anyone would like to add or change information, please reply.
I got some of my information from here:
www.ferret.org/pdfs/health/DIM_Article_2019May.pdf (More DIM info)
www.cabi.org/isc/FullTextPDF/2009/20093018989.pdf
miamiferret.org/physiology.htm
www.academia.edu/31809236/Ferret_Nutrition (a lot of info on nutrition and vitamins)
ferretassn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/symptoms.pdf (symptoms and what they mean)
exoticanimalmed.wordpress.com/2013/11/23/common-respiratory-issues-in-ferrets/ (upper respiratory infection)
www.theveterinarynurse.com/review/article/cpd-article-feeding-ferrets
assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2332/mustelidcaremanual2010r.pdf (everything but complicated)
miamiferret.org/ffaid.htm (first aid)
caringforlifeinc.com/pet-health-resources/pet-health-articles/articles/?ps=3 (checking meds for ferrets)
- The normal blood-glucose level of a ferret should be 90-120. It can be up to 200 when not fasted. You can find out your ferret's blood-glucose level by taking him to a vet or pricking his finger at home and using a blood-glucose check kit to find out yourself. It's best to do this when the ferret hasn't eaten, but don't fast a ferret more than 4 hours. If you are using a glucometer for humans, the number will be lower. If a ferret has a glucose level under 90 and is not fasted, it could be a sign of insulinoma.
-There should be no urine glucose in your ferret. Glucose in urine can mean a lot of bad things, so you might want to monitor your ferret or take him to the vet. The level of glucose should be less than 1.
- The normal body temperature of a ferret should be 101-103˚ F or 38.3-39.4˚ C. You can find out by using a flexible and fast reading thermometer and checking the temperature like you would in a dog or a cat. I like to coat the thermometer with vaseline so it's more comfortable for my pets. A higher temperature could mean heat stroke or the flu.
-Less red blood cells in the ferret's veins might mean it has an enlarged spleen. This happens when a ferret has problem such as infection, cancer, virus, or disease. You can treat it by getting rid of the problem. You can find out If your ferret has an enlarged spleen with an ultrasound or blood count. A normal packed cell volume (PCV) for red blood cells should be 43-61%. If your ferret has less, something like parasites or problems with bone marrow might be the cause. A PCV less than 25 needs hospitalization and blood transfusions. RBCs in urine should be between 0-3.
- Tissue cells in the urine should not be found. The normal level is 0 or a few. A lot of these cells means that your ferret's urinary tract has been damaged. This can be mild or very serious, so monitor your ferret if you find higher levels of tissue cells in the urine.
- The normal body weight of the ferret should be 1-4 pounds. In females, the weight should be between 1 and 2.5 pounds and males should be between 2-4 pounds.
- Normal length of the ferret should be 18-24 inches. Females are usually smaller than males at 18 inches. The males are usually 24 inches. Your ferret might be bigger or smaller than average, but that should be ok unless the ferret is young and not growing.
- The heart rate of a ferret should be between 180 and 400 beats per minute. There shouldn't be any abnormalities or heart murmurs. If a heart rate is faster, it could be due to an enlarged heart. A lower heart rate could be due to heart block. Provide heat by heated blankets/ water to prevent hypothermia and help the ferret recover.
- Normal ferret breathing rate should be 33-36 breaths per minute. If a ferret is breathing more, it could be tired or have an illness. If the ferret breathes less, it could be because it's sleeping, old, or had sleeping drugs (eg: surgery)
- The normal urine pH depends on the diet of the ferret. On a raw or fresh diet, the pH should be around 5.5-6.5. On a diet of kibble, the pH can be up to 7.5, but a pH this high can cause kidney stones. You can check this with a urine pH strip and a sample of the urine.
- The average time for food to pass the digestive system is 2.5 to 3.6 hours and it takes liquids around 1 hour to pass.
- Ferrets get puberty in early spring, usually 9 months for males and 8-12 months for females (earlier if exposed to light more often or for many hours at night, later if exposed to less light or melatonin)
- Ferret water intake should be given 4 teaspoons of water 3 times a day to stay hydrated. This is 12 teaspoons of water each day. Ferrets don't need much water when fed a raw diet.
-Ferrets will not overeat. They will eat depending to their caloric need. They need 200-300 kcal (normal big calories) per day. If your ferret is eating less, it could be sick. If your ferret eats more, it could be addicted to the food because of added sugar. Females will usually get these calories from their meals. Usually, females must eat 1-3oz of food per day. Males will need 2-4oz.
- Liver ALT is normal at 80-290. That number increases if given steroids. You can get an at home test kit or send it to a lab. Irregular liver ALT can be a sign of liver disease.
- Urobilinogen: A number less than 1 in the urine is ok, but if your ferret has abnormal levels of this, it could be due to anemia.
- Like urobilinogen, a small amount less than 1 is ok, but if bilirubin levels get too high, it can lead to liver disease.
- Your ferret should have no urine protein. If protein is found in the urine at a level of more than 1, it could be due to a disease in the urinary tract or reproductive tract, and kidney damage.
- Lipase can be 0-200 normally. It's created mostly in the stomach and less often in the pancreas. If the number is a lot higher, it could mean that your ferret has IBD. Steroids might increase this level. You can send a blood test to a lab or go to a vet to find out.
- A ferret shouldn't have ketones in their blood or urine. If they do, it means they are burning fat instead of glucose. This could mean your ferret is not eating or that it hasn't eaten in a while. This is also a sign of diabetes. If you are fasting your ferret, don't be alarmed if you find some ketones in it's urine.
- Globulin is made in the stomach as well. The levels range from 2 to 2.9. Increased levels of 3-5 can mean IBD, but if it's higher than 6, it could mean Aleutian Disease instead. It increases if the ferret is dehydrated. You can send a blood test to a lab or vet. Less globulin can mean liver failure.
- A healthy ferret's urine shouldn't have nitrate. If it does, your ferret could have a bacterial infection.
- Urine gravity: this means how dense the urine means. Males have a specific gravity of around 1.051 and females have about 1.042. (these results are based on young intact ferrets only) A normal gravity can range from 1.015-1.055.
- If the white blood cell (aka leukocytes) count is over 10,000 in the blood, your ferret might have cancer. Counting white blood cells can be a great way to detect cancer early in ferrets. An increased white blood cell count up to 5,000 or 8,000 at most can mean that your ferret has DIM. DIM is a disease that can be fatal if left untreated. There should be few or none (levels 0-5) found in the urine. If the levels are high, it could be a bacterial infection.
-Random tips/ info:
- Young, healthy ferrets take ~5 days to recover and old ferrets can take a few weeks
If anyone would like to add or change information, please reply.
I got some of my information from here:
www.ferret.org/pdfs/health/DIM_Article_2019May.pdf (More DIM info)
www.cabi.org/isc/FullTextPDF/2009/20093018989.pdf
miamiferret.org/physiology.htm
www.academia.edu/31809236/Ferret_Nutrition (a lot of info on nutrition and vitamins)
ferretassn.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/symptoms.pdf (symptoms and what they mean)
exoticanimalmed.wordpress.com/2013/11/23/common-respiratory-issues-in-ferrets/ (upper respiratory infection)
www.theveterinarynurse.com/review/article/cpd-article-feeding-ferrets
assets.speakcdn.com/assets/2332/mustelidcaremanual2010r.pdf (everything but complicated)
miamiferret.org/ffaid.htm (first aid)
caringforlifeinc.com/pet-health-resources/pet-health-articles/articles/?ps=3 (checking meds for ferrets)
