4 month old kit; bloated belly & blonde poops?

[raejay]

We recently adopted three ferrets from the pet store (western USA, no ferret breeders nearby); according to the Marshall paperwork they were born Dec 3, 2022.

We got two (Sun & Moon) at the start of March, then one (Winter) a week later. Winter is acting fine, a little skittish but plays hard and eats a ton, but I'm a little concerned about his poops and bloated belly. When he was at the pet store, he was in a tiny aquarium cage, and had wood or paper bedding shavings all in his food.

His first poop after we got him home from the pet store was VERY blonde; basically the color of fresh cut wood, but was fairly solid/normal. He was also very skinny; could definitely feel his ribs. He's filling out, but he's also a very long ferret; I think he'll get pretty big, as his paws and tail are longer than the other two.  The other two are also much more "filled out" than him, with pretty luxurious coats, while he still looks like a gangly kit baby with a pot belly and fuzzy kit coat. He can also be a little uncoordinated, but mostly just when he's waking up. 

We got them all on Wysong right away, and are working on transitioning them to raw; right now they're getting a mix of kibble and balanced raw grind, as they did not take to just the raw grind right away. His poops got darker and more normal, but in the last few days they're back to being blondish. His pot belly also isn't really going away; it isn't huge, but he definitely has a little pot belly while he's pretty skinny everywhere else still.

So...any insight? We haven't taken any of them to a vet yet as they're still getting settled, but is this something we should take him in for? We've had him about three weeks now. I figure the pot belly and poops could be because we're transitioning the diet but I'm not sure. This is the second time we've had ferrets, first time going raw.

Again, behaviorally, he's fine. Sleeps, eats, poops, plays, is affectionate, all that. Any help appreciated.

[Corvidophile]

I don’t know what to make of the on again off again light stool, but a thin animal with a pot belly is a sign of either intestinal parasites or overproduction of steroids. I’d suggest a trip to the vet for this.

[raejay]

Thank you for responding! We will accelerate the planned first vet visit and let them know our concerns. His poops are pretty much back to normal with only occasional blonde sections. His pot belly has also gone down but he's still gangly. Im hopeful he's just a late bloomer and growing a bit more slowly since he was in the store for an extra week, but we will see.

[Corvidophile]

When you go, bring a fresh, still wet stool sample and let the vet know that you have other ferrets at home in case it is parasites, as they’ll probably all have to be treated if it turns out to be the case.

[abbeytheferret6]

Hoping your little man is doing better.

One of my ferrets did have worms. Pic is in this thread. All my babies had to be treated. You will have to scroll down to see pic. holisticferret60.proboards.com/search/results?captcha_id=captcha_search&where_thread_title=worms&who_only_made_by=0&display_as=0&search=Searc

Always good to see a vet