You can help keep your ferret healthy by bringing him or her in for an exam once a year. That way, we can monitor any changes that occur in your pet and help prevent or catch diseases early, when they’re easier to treat.   During your visit, we would discuss why your ferret might benefit from receiving certain vaccinations and monthly preventatives. Please bring a stool sample to your ferret’s annual exam so we can test for internal parasites.  As ferrets age, they may need additional testing and dental care.

Common problems associated with ferrets include gastrointestinal disease, parasites, and cancer. In addition, ferrets are inquisitive creatures by nature and frequently ingest objects they shouldn’t. Regular blood tests can help determine whether your ferret has kidney, liver, or pancreas problems.

Unless you are planning to breed your ferret, we recommend that he or she be spayed or neutered. Female ferrets, or jills, do not need to give birth once to stay healthy. In fact, spaying can save her life. Unspayed jills will stay in heat until they’re bred which can lead to a fatal anemia (a decrease in red blood cells) if allowed to continue. Neutered male ferrets tend to have less odor, marking behavior and aggressive behavior.  Currently, if your ferret needs neutering, spaying or a different surgery, we will refer you to another facility for the procedure.

Please contact us right away if your ferret develops any unusual symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea, hair loss, lack of appetite, trouble breathing, black ear wax, discharge from the eyes or nose, lumps, swelling, or an increase in aggression or sexual behavior (especially in neutered males).