Flexing (?) hind end after defecating

[caitmonster]

I should really get a video next time I'm able because I don't know if I can even describe this well. It's happened twice now: I don't know what prompted the first instance, but this evening, I was out walking Rocky in the yard when he took a poop. He finished his business, we walked a few steps, and then he curled on his side into a ball and seemed to be flexing as though his lower body was trying to push something out, while curling both back paws. He wasn't panting, making any noises, and his tail wasn't fluffed.

I picked him up and took him inside so I could see him in the light, and by that time (maybe 15 seconds?) the behavior had subsided and he was moving around as normal.

I can't find anything explaining this--it's not a seizure, there's no shaking or weakness in his hind end, and his eating, drinking, and behaviors are otherwise normal. He's 4 years old, intact, been on a frankenprey diet since I got him at 10 weeks old.

Any thoughts?

[unclejoe]

that's a new one to me

[caitmonster]

Yes, it's really puzzling me. It seems like a reflexive/muscular action, or maybe something like peristalsis.

I don't know--can ferrets get charley horses??

[Charlie]

Did it look like he was stretching his back legs?

[caitmonster]

Thanks for your reply--sorry I haven't responded sooner, I've been away. No, he'll stretch his back legs out behind him at other times, but that doesn't seem to be cause. I was finally able to catch a video clip of what's happening, although it's the tail end of it since I had to look around for my phone for about a minute.

He curls up into a very tight ball while it's happening, but he seems completely unbothered by it. In fact in the video you can see he's basically dozing back off (he had woken up to go potty, and crawled back into bed when I noticed the movements happening and got him back out):video here

I should note he is VERY in season right now, and he is my first intact male... he's smelly and oily and runs around all night dragging the family jewels over our shoes and anything else short enough--rubs his whole body all over everything else. Is this, to be discrete, vicarious ferrety woohoo?

[Charlie]

Hmmm. I wonder if his stomach hurts. People will curl up/double over if their stomachs hurt sometimes. Does he shiver when he is doing that? And his poops are fine?

[caitmonster]

No shivering, poops have been about the usual on a frankenprey diet.

[Thérèse]

I was hoping that when I watched the video it would be something that I think of as natural (I couldn't picture anything from the description) because being in Aus I have had a number of intact ferrets but sorry to say I don't know what is going on. He looks like he is uncomfortable. My instinct would be a vet visit. Unfortunately I am also aware that an unknowledgeable vet can cause more concern than help and considering there are not many intact ferrets out your way, if it is related to his being in rut (or his anal scent glands, which I am assuming he still has) then it may not be something your vet has seen before.

I hope you are able to find out what is going on.

[caitmonster]

Thérèse thanks for the input. Yes he still has his scent glands, as well. I will have my vet examine him with that in mind, and I'm going to shoot off an email to his breeder, too.

[unclejoe]

Oh, he still has his guns... I wonder of one or both could be infected? I have known of several cases, and even a couple where the glands had to be expressed manually. Defecation would certainly cause pain if they were infected or overfull.

[caitmonster]

I sent the video to his breeder and I'm still waiting to hear back, but I took the liberty of inspecting under his tail while he's napping. I can feel what must be the anal glands next to the rectum, but there's no swelling or redness, and he didn't react to my rather energetic prodding around so there's no tenderness/pain there, it seems. He only does the booty scoot immediately after the litter box, too.

[Charlie]

I know when my dog had a blocked anal gland I had to express it. It would be swollen and you would be able to tell for sure. Does it happen more frequent when he curls up like that now?

[caitmonster]

Oddly enough, he hasn't done it since my last post. But no, his anal glands were not obviously swollen.