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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2011 20:06:15 GMT -5
Well, Fenton hasn't quite been himself lately. Over the past 3 months he has lost about 6 ounces of weight (went from 3 lbs 4 oz, to 2 lbs 14 oz), and for a week now his poops have been softer than usual and green. The other 2 ferrets do not show any symptoms of being sick.
His behavior, if anything, is more active. He has been very active and playful. He turns 1 year old next month, so I thought he was just losing kit chub while becoming more active, and I thought that would explain him slimming down. But now, with the loose green snotty poops, I am worried.
He has been eating and pooping, but I worried about a possible partial blockage. I gave him some lax and then pumpkin, to see if his pumpkin poops looked normal-sized, and they did; nice, relatively firm, fat poops. That, along with his normal appetite, makes me think he's not blocked.
It seems to occur with any food I've given him lately, whether it's beef, chicken, pork, or duck.
Could this be IBD, or a bug he picked up, or what? At what point should I take him to the vet? He acts normal, if anything more aggressive and playful than usual. It seems like the wrong time of year for him to be slimming down or going into season. Your thoughts? Anything else I should look for?
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Post by Sherry on Nov 11, 2011 20:10:15 GMT -5
I can only go on Boris' IBD, which is out of control, and pretty much has been since day one. He lost a lot of his energy, and what there was came in shorter bursts. Even giving pumpkin, his stools were still absolutely terrible. It runs through him just as fast as anything else. And it generally is the wrong season to be slimming down- unless his seasons are mixed up. What was his coat like in the summer? Was it short, with a thinner undercoat? Or long and lush? It is possible he's got some sort of tummy bug causing the off poops. Maybe a vet visit wouldn't hurt, just in case. Take in a stool spec.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 11, 2011 20:16:36 GMT -5
Hmm, well, Fenton seems to have lots of energy lately. I wouldn't be surprised if his seasons were mixed up, early in the summer he shed his coat and grew out a longer, more luxurious coat, which seemed weird at the time. He's not shedding right now, and he hasn't shed since early this summer. I thought he should have shed his summer coat by now to put on his winter coat. Maybe his seasons are all mixed up? I really try to limit their light exposure to try and help them know what season it is, but it's hard since I have a roomate and the ferrets don't have their own room. Also, it's still no lower than 70 degrees indoors here, even though we're mid-November already! None of my 3 ferrets have shed for the last few months, I thought they would shed at the end of summer.
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Post by Heather on Nov 11, 2011 22:02:52 GMT -5
Hmmm, Fenton sounds like Minion. Minion was weighing in at around 4lbs 6oz. He was a huge chub beast. This month he's dropped a full pound, well not quite he's 3lbs 10oz. He's not a year yet, about 10 months...I'm using Jan as his approx birthdate. Since loosing this weight he's become an active, crazy little fuzz into everything and I'm rather happy. He was too fat in my opinion (having just lost Napoleon to heart disease and having 2 fuzzes being treated for heart conditions) but the loss of weight and the lack of huge interest in food (which was his only focus before...eating and sleeping) had me concerned considering he should be putting on weight at this time of year. My concern is he's screwed up his seasons. It's not like we have a defined season. Yes, the days get shorter but we make up for it by turning the lights on and any heat change is absorbed by turning the heat on. That could be enough to screw up a kit who was born in Jan instead of being born in May, June when he should have been born. Now, your funky poops are concerning....they were cured with pumpkin? Could it be that he requires more bone? Do you feed just frankenprey? Maybe you need some veggie matter (pumkin or squash would work)? ciao
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Post by Deleted on Nov 12, 2011 3:29:47 GMT -5
Thanks Heather, yeah I didn't even think of the fact that Fenton was born outside the normal time, in December Poor little guy, that can't help matters. I usually offer bone either every day or every other day, but it's possible he's not eating enough maybe. I unfortunately have been feeding only frankenprey lately, no whole prey lately. I can try adding pumpkin to any meal that doesn't contain bone (for example this morning they got chicken hearts, I went ahead and coated them in pumpkin, does that seem sufficient?)
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Post by Sherry on Nov 12, 2011 12:23:37 GMT -5
You can also add some powdered eggshell if it's a fact of not eating enough bone. That might be better.
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