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Last month was a ferret owner’s nightmare for me and my ferret family -and not only because I stepped on my ferret. I hope this article answers all the questions you have about Moose’s latest health update while providing some useful information to help should you ever experience anything similar.
Our Story Begins…
Moose the ferret strapped into the car with a harness and leash
For those new to Moose’s story, I’d like to reiterate his
health problems (as we understood them before the trip described below):
Moose is a Marshall Ferret, age 4.5, dark sable and the love of our lives. Two months ago, he was diagnosed with Insulinoma. At the time of his diagnosis, Moose was also battling a nasty case of Helicobacter that put Moose in the ER. What we found (in addition to the Helicobacter and Insulinoma diagnosis) was that the cyst on Moose’s left kidney had grown from a grape to an egg in under 12 months. This became extremely alarming to our primary veterinarian. She told us that if we didn’t get Moose into surgery within the next month, the cyst could rupture and kill Moose -especially if I accidentally stepped on my ferret. The following weeks were extremely stressful and emotionally taxing.
Frustration Before Our Trip to K-State
After the diagnosis, I went deep into ‘research mode’. I can’t tell you how many hours I spent researching online and asking others about ferrets, surgery, and anesthesia. Thank THE FERRET GODS for forums like Holistic Ferret and FerretWorld!
I also spent a good chunk of time trying to track down any vet who felt comfortable performing surgery on a ferret (determining what makes a good ‘ferret surgeon’ deserves its own post!).
Ultimately, we chose to use Kansas State University. Our vet told us the surgery at K-State would be 2x to 3x the cost of a local surgeon, but if money was no object, we should do it. Our boys are worth every penny.
We booked a nearby Airbnb, loaded up the truck, and headed out of state! What’s the worst that could happen, right?
Wrong!
The Worst Car Ride of My Life
You know those nightmares you get where your ferret escapes out the back door or a hawk snatches them up? (for some reason, I dream that Moose gets caught in a pipe under water and he can’t breathe). You eventually wake up in a sweat and but sigh in relief as you catch your ferret snoring softly next to you.
Well, our car ride to Kansas was a real-life nightmare we could not wake up from, as much as we wanted to…
Mistake #1: Not packing the car the night before. We ended up leaving in a disorganized hurry.
Mistake #2: Not filling the gas tank before we drove through the middle of nowhere.
Mistake #3: Not downloading/screenshotting/printing the directions before we left and inevitably lost service in the middle of Kansas.
So… those are the choices we made BEFORE crap hit the fan during our 3 hour drive to Kansas. Obviously, we were set up for success (not!)!
More Mistakes
Channing and I are trying to learn how to record our ferret adventures for a future Youtube channel and we are just about as awkward as it gets…
Channing and Haley explain Moose’s health prognosis
Well, you know what they say! Practice makes perfect! So we practiced recording ourselves while driving, talking about Moose’s health status and then reminiscing about our favorite memories of Moose growing up. It was great! That is until we realized that if you are recording video on your iPhone, Apple Maps goes mute. Whoops!
We drove 20 minutes in the wrong direction by the time we noticed our navigation system stopped working.
I wish I could say this was the worst of it..
Mistake #4: Feeding Moose in a moving car.
While I was driving, Channing climbed in the back of the cab to spoon-feed Moose his “slop” in case they needed to take him into surgery within the next 2 hours (ferrets are NOT supposed to fast for long periods of time, even if surgery is imminent).
Did I mention we brought all three ferrets too? It was a logistical nightmare.
With the road trip supplies and all the ferret gear in the back, the inside of our car looked like a flea market – junk everywhere. It was the perfect space for a ferret to get lost. And as luck would have it…
Yeah.
While Channing cleaned up after feeding Moose, Moose snuck out of the carrier into our moving car.
Moose then picked a ‘safe’ place and fell asleep.
Channing didn’t notice Moose curled up under a jacket on the back seat behind him. Without realizing, Channing placed his knee (and full body weight) on Moose’s stomach. He stepped on a ferret. Moose let out a scream and we both jumped. Channing picked up Moose to inspect the damage and our ferret’s abdomen was hard as a rock.
Now this would be a terrible situation for anyone
“I stepped on my ferret”.
But if you remember WHY we were headed to K-State in the first place it gets even worse: Moose had a cyst our vet was worried would RUPTURE on its own, simply by its precarious size. And now Channing had just stepped on our ferret -and placed up to 140+ lbs. directly on that same ticking time bomb!
You can imagine how terrible Channing felt. I hope you know the guilt is enough for a lifetime. And if you’re looking for someone to blame, blame me for telling him to feed Moose in the first place.
Mistake #2 reared it’s ugly head at this point. We were completely out of gas.
We pulled up to a random rest stop in Kansas and immediately lost cell service (mistake #3).
This is when Moose started convulsing and throwing up the entire contents of his stomach. It was terrifying.
I screeched to a stop at nearby gas station and then Moose pooped all over Channing’s arm.
Moose the ferret pooped on Channing’s arm
We looked down and for the first time in his life, Moose had a prolapsed rectum. It was big, red, and bloody. He was going from bad to worse.
Moose the ferret – prolapsed rectum
The Nightmare Continues
Channing and I started panicking. We were still 50 minutes away from K-State.
I sprinted into the gas station convenience store and begged the owners for wifi to download directions again. A nice elderly woman warned me about speeding around this part of Kansas because there were tons of cops looking to give tickets. I thought ‘Great! Moose is dying and I can’t drive over 65mph!’
We jumped in the car and booked it. I checked on Moose every 30 seconds while Channing floored it down the highway, keeping an eye out for speed traps.
“I can’t believe I stepped on my ferret,” he said. Over and over “I can’t believe I stepped on my ferret.”
I prayed the hardest I’ve ever prayed for Moose.
“Code 10”
When we got within cell range, I called the vet hospital and told them about our emergency. They called a “Code 10” and admitted us as soon as we arrived. I kissed Moose goodbye and handed him to Channing to do the same. We honestly didn’t know if we’d ever see him again.
Waiting at the vet hospital to hear Moose the ferret’s results
At the Vet Hospital
Channing and I sat in the waiting room for what seemed like
hours but what was probably closer to 30 minutes. We worried he was sitting
alone in the back, crying out in pain with nobody to comfort him.
Our vet came out and gave us some good news: He did not have any life-threatening internal trauma and the prolapsed rectum could be reversed. The vet asked if she could sedate him to run some blood work and an ultrasound. Reluctantly, we said yes.
They told us to check into our Airbnb and come back in 4 hours. The thing is, our Airbnb didn’t open until 3pm and we still had two ferrets to supervise.
Mistake #5: Not requesting early Airbnb check-in with two ferrets on our hands and an outside temperature of 90+ degrees.
Thank the LORD the vet hospital didn’t kick us out, but we figured we better get a bite to eat before we added “hangry” to the list of bad ideas.
Channing and I went to a nearby restaurant with outdoor seating and brought the carrier with us. No way in hell were we going to leave our boys in our black truck!!!
There was a problem -it was still too hot even in the shade.
(A ferret backpack looks an awful lot like a regular backpack when you drape a jacket over it.)
We tried to sneak our GIANT animal crate into the air-conditioned indoor mall.
Albert and Newt wait patiently for news on their brother, Moose
Within minutes, we got kicked out of the restaurant and the entire building, putting us back out into the 90+ degree weather with no food, two antsy ferrets, and a truck with temperamental a/c.
We rushed back to the vet hospital’s climate control to sit and wait for the next 3 hours in the lobby. We looked to every single vet that passed us in the hallway, begging for updates. “I can’t believe I stepped on my ferret,” Channing said. We bugged the front staff way too much. Mostly, we just sat and tried to think about something else.
Our First Update
Moose the ferret xray
Finally, one of the vets on the case gave us an update. They
were half way through their tests for Moose and it was looking better than they
had previously thought. Plus, his prolapse had retreated into his body by about
50%. Good news! They recommended we go check into our Airbnb (finally!) and
wait for a call.
Waiting and Praying
I bet this is normal, but it felt awful. Channing and I both
had this horrible burning pit in our stomachs and the very strong urge to cry –
while at the same time feeling like we’d already been crying for hours. We were
so emotionally drained at this point.
The Phone Call
We got a phone call around 5pm asking us to return to the hospital for an update. We met with two vets on Moose’s case and went over all his test results. His blood work was slightly abnormal but they cited his recent internal trauma as the likely cause. His prolapse had almost completely retreated back into his body. His energy level and appetite had returned to normal. We were so relieved.
Moose the ferret ultrasound of cyst
Then they pulled up his ultrasound and showed us the location and size of the cyst. It looked HUGE to us but they assured us that he didn’t need surgery -now or ever.
They told us simply to monitor it and come back in a month for another ultrasound (to see its rate of growth). When I asked “how much growth in the next month would warrant a surgery” they said they didn’t know.
Wait, WHAT?!
Did we seriously just drive 3 hours, almost kill our ferret,
and spend over $400 just to be told ‘looks fine, come back in a month to do it
all over again’?
Yep.
Moose passed a stool that was half blood, half poop that
night.
After getting stepped on, Moose the ferret passed blood in his poop 8 hours later
Our Reaction
We have lost so much sleep over this -I don’t know how much more we can take.
At the time of writing this, we had one vet saying Moose is about to die and another saying he’s fine. Who would you believe??
I received another call last week from a third vet saying that ferrets don’t live that long anyway so the cyst likely wont rupture in his lifetime (“another illness is likely to claim him instead!”). What a sad outlook.
I have to wonder, is that it? It’s either too early to remove the cyst or it will rupture and be too late? That can’t be our only options.
As the fur parents to a marginalized pet, we feel completely out of control and without the proper resources to make a big decision like this. So few vets really ‘go to bat’ for ferrets and we are left googling at home.
Reflecting on Past Experiences
I’m left thinking about the other times veterinary medicine has left me with more questions than answers during the course of Moose and his brothers’ lives. How many others are thinking, “that happened to me when I stepped on my ferret.” Sadly, the events surrounding our visit to K-State are not an isolated incident:
History #1: Moose’s Obstruction
Three years ago, Moose got a life-threatening obstruction. To this day, I still have no idea how he passed it (though I think it was the Vaseline). He vomited and choked all night long. We tore our room apart trying to find what he swallowed. Channing slept on the bathroom floor next to Moose, waiting for the only exotic vet in town to become available.
We took him in for an x-ray and body exam. Moose had glazed eyes and was hardly moving. After the physical exam she said “Nope, there’s no evidence of an obstruction.” Okay, what is it then?? Because Moose barely made it through the night. “Take him home and watch him,” they said.
Well, we took Moose home and he pooped out a piece of foam the size of a blueberry. That’s like one of us humans passing a softball into the toilet! You’re honestly telling me that Moose showed ZERO signs of an obstruction? I’d argue he showed textbook symptoms.
If an obstruction THAT BIG can go unnoticed by a vet with a physical exam AND an x-ray, WHY did we even bring him in?
Ferrets are notorious for eating things they shouldn’t. I have to think there HAS to be better protocol out there for diagnosing and treating an obstruction.
History #2: Moose’s Big Fall
Two years ago, Moose fell 3 stories off of our apartment balcony (we have since ferret-proofed it).
Note: Please view our transparency as first-time ferret owners as a privilege and an opportunity to learn, rather than an invitation to criticize <3.
After running downstairs to rescue him, Channing brought Moose straight to the emergency vet. They cited “no internal injuries, just a little shook up”. Really? Because when Channing brought him home to me after work, I did a quick exam myself and noticed multiple injuries -Moose’s chin bloodied and bruised and BOTH of his front teeth majorly chipped! Where was that on his chart?!
Our vets at the time missed some serious red flags during the examination and yet again we paid for a bunch of expensive imaging to be told “we found nothing, monitor him”.
History #3: Moose’s Bad Cold
Before Moose turned one, he contracted a terrible cold.
Again, we took him to the vet and there was little they could do beyond weighing him and taking his temperature. I can do that stuff at home! They sent us home with no more than a “if it doesn’t pass in a week, call me. ” As a vet with years of schooling far beyond my own veterinary knowledge, surely you can provide more!
Well, thank the ferret gods we came home early one day to find Moose unresponsive in bed, so sick he couldn’t even lift his little head. We finger-fed him food-paste and watched him like a hawk for the next 12 hours. He could have died. Where was the protocol for that?
Recognizing Our Gaps in Knowledge
Before we got Moose (our first ferret) , a vet told me “don’t get a ferret. They have too many health problems. You’ll spend thousands in vet bills and they wont live very long.” Well, we got Moose anyway and obviously we will have ferrets until the day we die. But she was right – ferrets are basically walking vet bills (Marshall Ferrets, anyway).
But you know what I was never warned about? The complete and utter lack of resources to even give these ‘walking-vet-bills’ the care and treatment they deserve! I will be here for my ferrets through sickness and in health but I will NOT stand idly by while vets continue to treat ferrets as an afterthought.
There are so many books dedicated to the proper veterinary care for dogs and cats. Do you want to know how many books my vet recommends to learn about ferrets? Three.
“If you read those three books you will know more about ferrets than most vets in the world,” she said.
Even beyond better breeding practices and diet, there must be more we can do – more research we can do to prolong their lives, better at-home training resources, something! Right now, mainstream veterinary care of ferrets seems so …rigid and outdated.
What We ALL Need
Everyone on this page wants to be a better ferret owner. I know that. So why aren’t we able to bridge the gap better between pet owners and vets? We should all know emergency protocol for the most basic ferret emergencies. I should know what to expect if I stepped on my ferret. We should all be taught how to give subcutaneous fluids. How hard would it be to learn how to palpate a ferret’s abdomen or conduct a full physical at home? Much like doing a monthly breast exam on yourself, can you imagine how regular at-home exams could improve the lives of our ferrets and potentially catch a fatal illness much earlier on? These skills aren’t hard to learn, the resources are just hard to find!
I am sure many of us become inspired to be a vet after such
an experience as this one. But what if we don’t need another vet? What if what
we actually need is a teacher to explain what the vet is saying and someone to
teach us the many procedures we can actually do at home to save money and
improve our ferrets’ chance of survival?
If there aren’t enough vets that are willing to go the extra mile for our ferrets, we have to take it upon ourselves to learn and conduct the care that is necessary for their survival.
Conclusion
Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong during our trip to K-State Animal Hospital -even before I stepped on my ferret! We are lucky to have Moose by our side today but our experiences highlighted the serious lack of resources for ferret owners. Ferret owners need to band together to make a better world for our unique pets!
I am truly amazed that you kept it together through all of that. I’m not sure I wouldn’t have lost my mind going through your situation. Moose is truly a lucky ferret to have such amazing ferret parents. I hope he and the rest of your fuzzballs have a long and playful life.
Amen. Will DM you about recent convo with ‘our’ vet. Love ‘her’ to death, but sometimes question the what if’s too. Stick to The Holistic Ferret Forum, too, will help volumes.
I cried a few times while reading this, and also got up several times to go get reluctant hugs from my Ferrets. Moose has been through so much and so have you guys. I’m glad he has such great Ferrants!
I used to own Marshall ferrets. None of them lived past age five. I now have two rescue ferrets and I am very lucky that they are both very healthy. Which is good because our local vet wants nothing to do with them. Previously, our vet had humored us, saying they knew something about ferrets. I agree, I’d more luck on the Internet than in the clinic. I now notice more vets in our area, advertising care for pocket pets. You are excellent pet parents. Take care. I enjoy your posts.
I couldn’t have said ANY of this better, and 100 agree on all points. These little fellas rely on us…why is it in 2019, that we lack so many qualified, common sense, empathetic vets? We get ourselves worked up for their treatments because we love them…and are so often let down. Being self aware and knowing how to do much of the diagnosis and treatment within reason, is a very viable solution.
Wow, thanks for sharing your experience with us. I wish ferrets would be healthy pets that lived as long as dogs or cats. We have so much to learn and to ask from exotic vets so that they educate themselves for the sake of our ferrets’ health. Sending you love and prayers for Moose.
I have a Marshall ferret who will currently be age 7 on 9/9. While a vet once successfully removed a cancer growth outside of her ear, I have paid thousands in her lifetime for “inconclusive test results”, told she had insolinoma and she would die by Tufts animal hospital – one of the best in the state of Massachusetts (that was 4 years ago – she’s still here with no signs or symptoms.) I only learned how to treat her near deadly hairball blockages from online ferret owner communities (several vets, even exotic ones, had no idea what to do.) Then she almost died from anaphylactic reaction to her rabies vaccine. I started to understand why ferrets are outlawed in CA and NYC (not the real reason but) we don’t have vets that know how to care for them! Best wishes with your Moose. I have empathy for your plight. Sarah K. Rhode Island
Sarah, Thanks for sharing your experiences with our ferret community. I am so sorry your ferret had a poor reaction to the rabies vaccine. This is not the first time I’ve heard of that happening, sadly. It’s certainly a balance between listening to the medical knowledge and expertise a good vet can provide, while also keeping feelers out there to get advice and recommendations from the ferret owner community (who know some great tips and tricks!).
I’d say ferret owners need to band together to close down Marshall farms. This is not a joke and not the only one story. Two of my ferrets have Insulinoma and Adrenal. Every other Marshall ferret is sick. Ferrets are awesome pets, but should be bought from private breeders. I hope Moose will be alright. They all deserve a happy ending. P.S. I have a lot of examples on my account @admirable_ferrets
Oh god I was so close to tears reading this 😭 ferret screams are the most heartbreaking sound and it’s the worst feeling when you know you’ve caused them pain. So sorry for all you’re going through. We’ve had many emergencies with the rescue ferrets we’ve had over the years, and several have passed. Our vets are fantastic though, and are exotic specialists so they know more than most about ferrets. One of our ferrets had a non-cancerous liver cyst which our vet operated on, and he completely recovered which was remarkable as he really was at death’s door (annoyingly though he developed insulinoma a few months later!). Sucks that they are prone to so many horrible health issues when they’re such wonderful little souls ❤ love to you guys and your fur babies, hopefully Moose feels better soon x
I’m so glad you emphasize the importance of shopping around for the right vet. I don’t remember how I found mine but he has had several ferrets himself and I trust him. And when my ferret needed surgery for adrenal disease, he had a vet from a nearby zoo do it, because he was even more experienced with small animal surgeries.
For anyone in the northeast Ohio area, my vet is Dr Paul Ramsey in Euclid.
Oh man, I read this with tears. My husband and I have loved and lost 2 ferrets now, still have one boy left. Our now departed 2 were girls rescued from a neglect situation – Bear and Nibbler. Bear looked a lot like Moose and she died of insulinoma complications (we were treating her for over a year, she was about 5 or 6 – woke up to find her having a seizure. We took her to our vet (thankfully, so thankfully, we were in Chicago then and had an amazing vet who checked her thoroughly and cared about her health) and they ran tests, her seizures wouldn’t stop so they sedated her. She also had a heart arrhythmia that we were always told was mild, we were told to go home and wait. Not 10 min after we did, we got a call to come back as she was not doing well, and she died on our drive back from heart complications from the medicine. I absolutely believe these vets did their best, they simply couldn’t help. It was horrible and worse when her sister Nibbler never stopped looking for her 🙁
Then under a year later, we moved to Washington state. We had Nibbler fully checked 2 days before we left to be safe – she had always had some strange health problem or another, in this case a digestive bacterial infection. Our good Chicago vet said her tests were safe and she should be fine in a couple days, and wished us well on our road trip. THAT was fun to deal with on a 3 day road trip with hotels (tip: hotel bathtubs are good places for ferrets who cannot control their bowels, poor thing). We kept her in clear sight with the A/C blasting – along with our other ferret (who is a lone boy/a rescue as well and never got along with the girls), 2 cats, and our snake. We took breaks every couple of hours and made sure she was eat/drinking/taking her meds and cleaned her carrier. Fyi hammocks work great in carriers and gives them a less bumpy cozy place 🙂 We arrived at our final destination, got everyone settled, and crashed out. The next morning, Nibbler couldn’t keep her balance. In a brand new state with 3 days of driving exhaustion on a weekend morning when places were closed, we finally found a vet with good reviews and rushed her in; they put her on fluids and gave her blood tests and an ultrasound etc, and said it seemed her digestive issues and dehydration was too much but ‘she should be ok’ – the next day, 4th of July when they were closed, a (wonderful) vet who came in on the holiday to monitor her and others, called us and told us she was not getting better and was fading fast, and asked if we would like to come in to say goodbye. So we did, and they gave her the mercy shot and we cried for hours and it was just the worst thing ever. I wish she could have pulled through or that circumstances of the move were different, but goes to show sometimes no matter what you do or how you prepare with experts, ferrets can decline so fast 🙁
Our boy now, Floki, has adrenal disease – diagnosed a year ago at age 6 (ish; he’s also a rescue). He had shots (watching that happen still gives me nightmares) and finally an implant – the implant seriously turned him into a new ferret. He was losing just a little fur back then (early warning sign – thankfully we caught it very early!) and today 9.5 months later this tail has started to lose just a little more so we’re taking him for a checkup soon. In Washington State we have vet options – our local vet does not do implants or surgeries so we have to drive him for 2-4 hour treks as he has 2 other vets here who are also great. I feel very lucky to be in an area where I have good vets, because I was terrified leaving ours in Chicago, though now if we have an emergency it’s a couple hours vs a 10 minute drive. And yes, those bills are very expensive and I also have thought about what could we do from home. As in the case with Nibbler, long drives can also hurt their health (I don’t know if it wouldn’t have happened anyway, but I’m sure it didn’t help) and Floki does get fussy on those long trips, especially when he poops and decides to keep scratching around (tip: always bring paper towels and cleaning spray… we forgot the first trip 😳) I know there is a shelter in Illinois (GCFA!) where members say they test their own ferrets’ blood in cases of insulinoma with human diabetes kits – I bought one of the “tiny prick tests” type but Bear passed before I used it. You just adjust for their levels vs human, and poke the tip of their tail (apparently it is less sensitive for them). I did give a cat IV treatments when she had kidney disease so am a bit over the needle fear thing (if you can ever really get over it; just have to think clinically/no one wants to hurt their pet – it is for their health!). Anyway I hope maybe this helps a little. We aren’t sure yet if we will have more ferrets after Floki honestly, we are going to decide that when he passes (in 50 years of course). Love you guys and wishing you all luck, I hope in a month you can get more answers. I can say if you are willing to fly anywhere and want to give a vet another go, Dr Claracoates at Chicago Exotics Vet Hospital is nothing less than wonderful. Much love and support!!
Kelly, Thank you for taking the time to tell all of us about your unique ferret experiences. I also believe the vets that treated Bear did their best. Vets are the most passionate, caring people I have ever met. Sadly, we just don’t know enough about ferrets and illness to catch diseases sooner. I hope it improves as time goes on. Some part of me hopes this page can help! Especially if we all come here to share our experiences.. Can you tell me more about Nibbler’s digestive issues? Was there blood in the stool like with Moose? Was it an obstruction? We wish the very best for Floki! Please keep us updated. Thanks again for your comment. I hope you keep contributed to this site!
It was such a heart-wrenching ordeal. But yes, sadly you are right. What happened to us can happen to any ferret owner and we all need to be prepared! Thanks for commenting.
I too feel that they can be bred to live longer without disease, but if they live longer you won’t buy another faster. That sucks. It is almost impossible to lay hands on a male and female that haven’t be fixed to breed your own. I wonder why. I have taken it a lot of rescues and the ones that don’t have the double dot always seem healthier and live longer, they aren’t as socialized, but I can live with that. I have 5 rescues that will be my last ones. I look at them and see how they will look in a couple of years, all sickly and my heart breaks. For now they have freedom (they free roam) all the love I have to give, they never go hungry and they get their favorite treats on demand. I will miss them and be very lonely but I am too old to get anymore and treat them right.
Cheryl, I think it is commendable to know and accept our limits as pet owners. All we can do is our best and that’s enough. I am sure your ferrets are very lucky to have you as their mama. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. I hope we see you again on this page!
If you ever need a good specialist, I recommend driving to Topeka instead of K State and see University Veterinary Care Clinic. I’ve had ferrets over 20 years since I lived/rescued in California, an they are one of the best clinics I’ve seen for ferrets. I’ve stepped on one of mine as well as ending up with 12 sitches in my forehead avoiding doing it. Ah, ferrets!
I have no idea when this was written. SO terribly sad for everything Moose and you two had to go through! Thank you for sharing such an honest account. Ferrets are very difficult to be perfect with. Many pets die tragic, usually accidental deaths because many are afraid to share what happened.
Also, if you are willing to spend that kind of money to heal him — and you are amazing for it! — I highly recommend TheExoticVet.com and Dr Strunk in Bothell, Washington State. She is saving my little 3 month old from an extremely rare and deadly autoimmune disorder. It was credit card maxing, but worth every bit to have my boy come back from the brink of death. I have 5 ferrets and she is the only vet that I 100% completely trust.
And… shameless plug… If you are curious about my little ones, you can check them out on IG and YouTube: The Rayne Ferrets 🙂
It’s unfortunate, but one of the most common ways a ferret gets stepped on is when they snuggle up in a clothing pile left on the floor or couch before someone steps or sits on it.
Kentucky one of these commonwealth states. I love moose so much he is cute., If something happens or moose is sad say that tory loves mooses cute face and fur, Love tory
I just lost my ferret baby a couple weeks ago 😭 (he was born in March). I have no clue what happened and had no time to get him to the vet. I left for work at 4pm and he was his normal self, he always laid on my feet while I get ready for work 🙂. I got home from work at 4:30am and he was acting wierd (not biting me) I watched him and held him until 10am when he ran under my bed. I was super tired so I fell asleep because I had to leave for work at 4pm. I woke up at 2pm to my husband telling me that he’s sorry our lil mouse passed away 😭(my 2 year old granddaughter named him mouse) I had to work 12 hours sobbing that night and I still have no clue why he died 😭. Thank you for all your information and your honest story
I just got a new ferret named kiwi to be honest I am doing pretty good with taking care of him even though I’m ten. An no all my parents do for it is feed or water, play with Hime when I’m at school . Other than that he is all my responsibility and yeah I play with him like every single day that I’m off of school I’ll feed him at 6:00 in the morning cuz that’s the time that I get on the bus and then after that I’ll come home from school after 7 hours I will come into my room I’ll check on him if he has no food or water I’ll replace it and if his litter box is too dirty I’ll replace it and then I just start playing with him for the rest of the day
how do you guys have these problems my ferret is 6 and a half he eats cat food and he is the happiest thing ever he is not slowing down but he sleeps more when he is out he has never fell over 2 and a half feet, and he has never been stepped on how does this even happen like jeez.
I just stepped on my ferret and he ran around trying to vomit for awhile but has calmed down some now. He is drinking water but that’s it. He tried to eat a bit but stopped I think he still maybe a little query. I feel awful for stepping on him! He was sleeping in a cover on the floor that fell from bed instead of in his bed. He’s finally sleeping in his curled up position on his favorite blanket under my bed. I pray he is okay and better now. His name is Dallas and he will be 2 this year in June Marshall’s farm bred.
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I Stepped on My Ferret
Last month was a ferret owner’s nightmare for me and my ferret family -and not only because I stepped on my ferret. I hope this article answers all the questions you have about Moose’s latest health update while providing some useful information to help should you ever experience anything similar.
Our Story Begins…
For those new to Moose’s story, I’d like to reiterate his health problems (as we understood them before the trip described below):
Moose is a Marshall Ferret, age 4.5, dark sable and the love of our lives. Two months ago, he was diagnosed with Insulinoma. At the time of his diagnosis, Moose was also battling a nasty case of Helicobacter that put Moose in the ER. What we found (in addition to the Helicobacter and Insulinoma diagnosis) was that the cyst on Moose’s left kidney had grown from a grape to an egg in under 12 months. This became extremely alarming to our primary veterinarian. She told us that if we didn’t get Moose into surgery within the next month, the cyst could rupture and kill Moose -especially if I accidentally stepped on my ferret. The following weeks were extremely stressful and emotionally taxing.
Frustration Before Our Trip to K-State
After the diagnosis, I went deep into ‘research mode’. I can’t tell you how many hours I spent researching online and asking others about ferrets, surgery, and anesthesia. Thank THE FERRET GODS for forums like Holistic Ferret and FerretWorld!
I also spent a good chunk of time trying to track down any vet who felt comfortable performing surgery on a ferret (determining what makes a good ‘ferret surgeon’ deserves its own post!).
Ultimately, we chose to use Kansas State University. Our vet told us the surgery at K-State would be 2x to 3x the cost of a local surgeon, but if money was no object, we should do it. Our boys are worth every penny.
We booked a nearby Airbnb, loaded up the truck, and headed out of state! What’s the worst that could happen, right?
Wrong!
The Worst Car Ride of My Life
You know those nightmares you get where your ferret escapes out the back door or a hawk snatches them up? (for some reason, I dream that Moose gets caught in a pipe under water and he can’t breathe). You eventually wake up in a sweat and but sigh in relief as you catch your ferret snoring softly next to you.
Well, our car ride to Kansas was a real-life nightmare we could not wake up from, as much as we wanted to…
Mistake #1: Not packing the car the night before. We ended up leaving in a disorganized hurry.
Mistake #2: Not filling the gas tank before we drove through the middle of nowhere.
Mistake #3: Not downloading/screenshotting/printing the directions before we left and inevitably lost service in the middle of Kansas.
So… those are the choices we made BEFORE crap hit the fan during our 3 hour drive to Kansas. Obviously, we were set up for success (not!)!
More Mistakes
Channing and I are trying to learn how to record our ferret adventures for a future Youtube channel and we are just about as awkward as it gets…
Well, you know what they say! Practice makes perfect! So we practiced recording ourselves while driving, talking about Moose’s health status and then reminiscing about our favorite memories of Moose growing up. It was great! That is until we realized that if you are recording video on your iPhone, Apple Maps goes mute. Whoops!
We drove 20 minutes in the wrong direction by the time we noticed our navigation system stopped working.
I wish I could say this was the worst of it..
Mistake #4: Feeding Moose in a moving car.
While I was driving, Channing climbed in the back of the cab to spoon-feed Moose his “slop” in case they needed to take him into surgery within the next 2 hours (ferrets are NOT supposed to fast for long periods of time, even if surgery is imminent).
Did I mention we brought all three ferrets too? It was a logistical nightmare.
With the road trip supplies and all the ferret gear in the back, the inside of our car looked like a flea market – junk everywhere. It was the perfect space for a ferret to get lost. And as luck would have it…
Yeah.
While Channing cleaned up after feeding Moose, Moose snuck out of the carrier into our moving car.
Moose then picked a ‘safe’ place and fell asleep.
Channing didn’t notice Moose curled up under a jacket on the back seat behind him. Without realizing, Channing placed his knee (and full body weight) on Moose’s stomach. He stepped on a ferret. Moose let out a scream and we both jumped. Channing picked up Moose to inspect the damage and our ferret’s abdomen was hard as a rock.
Now this would be a terrible situation for anyone
“I stepped on my ferret”.
But if you remember WHY we were headed to K-State in the first place it gets even worse: Moose had a cyst our vet was worried would RUPTURE on its own, simply by its precarious size. And now Channing had just stepped on our ferret -and placed up to 140+ lbs. directly on that same ticking time bomb!
You can imagine how terrible Channing felt. I hope you know the guilt is enough for a lifetime. And if you’re looking for someone to blame, blame me for telling him to feed Moose in the first place.
Mistake #2 reared it’s ugly head at this point. We were completely out of gas.
We pulled up to a random rest stop in Kansas and immediately lost cell service (mistake #3).
This is when Moose started convulsing and throwing up the entire contents of his stomach. It was terrifying.
I screeched to a stop at nearby gas station and then Moose pooped all over Channing’s arm.
We looked down and for the first time in his life, Moose had a prolapsed rectum. It was big, red, and bloody. He was going from bad to worse.
The Nightmare Continues
Channing and I started panicking. We were still 50 minutes away from K-State.
I sprinted into the gas station convenience store and begged the owners for wifi to download directions again. A nice elderly woman warned me about speeding around this part of Kansas because there were tons of cops looking to give tickets. I thought ‘Great! Moose is dying and I can’t drive over 65mph!’
We jumped in the car and booked it. I checked on Moose every 30 seconds while Channing floored it down the highway, keeping an eye out for speed traps.
“I can’t believe I stepped on my ferret,” he said. Over and over “I can’t believe I stepped on my ferret.”
I prayed the hardest I’ve ever prayed for Moose.
“Code 10”
When we got within cell range, I called the vet hospital and told them about our emergency. They called a “Code 10” and admitted us as soon as we arrived. I kissed Moose goodbye and handed him to Channing to do the same. We honestly didn’t know if we’d ever see him again.
At the Vet Hospital
Channing and I sat in the waiting room for what seemed like hours but what was probably closer to 30 minutes. We worried he was sitting alone in the back, crying out in pain with nobody to comfort him.
Our vet came out and gave us some good news: He did not have any life-threatening internal trauma and the prolapsed rectum could be reversed. The vet asked if she could sedate him to run some blood work and an ultrasound. Reluctantly, we said yes.
They told us to check into our Airbnb and come back in 4 hours. The thing is, our Airbnb didn’t open until 3pm and we still had two ferrets to supervise.
Mistake #5: Not requesting early Airbnb check-in with two ferrets on our hands and an outside temperature of 90+ degrees.
Thank the LORD the vet hospital didn’t kick us out, but we figured we better get a bite to eat before we added “hangry” to the list of bad ideas.
Channing and I went to a nearby restaurant with outdoor seating and brought the carrier with us. No way in hell were we going to leave our boys in our black truck!!!
There was a problem -it was still too hot even in the shade.
Mistake #6: We forgot to pack our super stealthy ferret backpack for situations such as this!
(A ferret backpack looks an awful lot like a regular backpack when you drape a jacket over it.)
We tried to sneak our GIANT animal crate into the air-conditioned indoor mall.
Within minutes, we got kicked out of the restaurant and the entire building, putting us back out into the 90+ degree weather with no food, two antsy ferrets, and a truck with temperamental a/c.
We rushed back to the vet hospital’s climate control to sit and wait for the next 3 hours in the lobby. We looked to every single vet that passed us in the hallway, begging for updates. “I can’t believe I stepped on my ferret,” Channing said. We bugged the front staff way too much. Mostly, we just sat and tried to think about something else.
Our First Update
Finally, one of the vets on the case gave us an update. They were half way through their tests for Moose and it was looking better than they had previously thought. Plus, his prolapse had retreated into his body by about 50%. Good news! They recommended we go check into our Airbnb (finally!) and wait for a call.
Waiting and Praying
I bet this is normal, but it felt awful. Channing and I both had this horrible burning pit in our stomachs and the very strong urge to cry – while at the same time feeling like we’d already been crying for hours. We were so emotionally drained at this point.
The Phone Call
We got a phone call around 5pm asking us to return to the hospital for an update. We met with two vets on Moose’s case and went over all his test results. His blood work was slightly abnormal but they cited his recent internal trauma as the likely cause. His prolapse had almost completely retreated back into his body. His energy level and appetite had returned to normal. We were so relieved.
Then they pulled up his ultrasound and showed us the location and size of the cyst. It looked HUGE to us but they assured us that he didn’t need surgery -now or ever.
They told us simply to monitor it and come back in a month for another ultrasound (to see its rate of growth). When I asked “how much growth in the next month would warrant a surgery” they said they didn’t know.
Wait, WHAT?!
Did we seriously just drive 3 hours, almost kill our ferret, and spend over $400 just to be told ‘looks fine, come back in a month to do it all over again’?
Yep.
Moose passed a stool that was half blood, half poop that night.
Our Reaction
We have lost so much sleep over this -I don’t know how much more we can take.
At the time of writing this, we had one vet saying Moose is about to die and another saying he’s fine. Who would you believe??
I received another call last week from a third vet saying that ferrets don’t live that long anyway so the cyst likely wont rupture in his lifetime (“another illness is likely to claim him instead!”). What a sad outlook.
I have to wonder, is that it? It’s either too early to remove the cyst or it will rupture and be too late? That can’t be our only options.
As the fur parents to a marginalized pet, we feel completely out of control and without the proper resources to make a big decision like this. So few vets really ‘go to bat’ for ferrets and we are left googling at home.
Reflecting on Past Experiences
I’m left thinking about the other times veterinary medicine has left me with more questions than answers during the course of Moose and his brothers’ lives. How many others are thinking, “that happened to me when I stepped on my ferret.” Sadly, the events surrounding our visit to K-State are not an isolated incident:
History #1: Moose’s Obstruction
Three years ago, Moose got a life-threatening obstruction. To this day, I still have no idea how he passed it (though I think it was the Vaseline). He vomited and choked all night long. We tore our room apart trying to find what he swallowed. Channing slept on the bathroom floor next to Moose, waiting for the only exotic vet in town to become available.
We took him in for an x-ray and body exam. Moose had glazed eyes and was hardly moving. After the physical exam she said “Nope, there’s no evidence of an obstruction.” Okay, what is it then?? Because Moose barely made it through the night. “Take him home and watch him,” they said.
Well, we took Moose home and he pooped out a piece of foam the size of a blueberry. That’s like one of us humans passing a softball into the toilet! You’re honestly telling me that Moose showed ZERO signs of an obstruction? I’d argue he showed textbook symptoms.
If an obstruction THAT BIG can go unnoticed by a vet with a physical exam AND an x-ray, WHY did we even bring him in?
Ferrets are notorious for eating things they shouldn’t. I have to think there HAS to be better protocol out there for diagnosing and treating an obstruction.
History #2: Moose’s Big Fall
Two years ago, Moose fell 3 stories off of our apartment balcony (we have since ferret-proofed it).
Note: Please view our transparency as first-time ferret owners as a privilege and an opportunity to learn, rather than an invitation to criticize <3.
After running downstairs to rescue him, Channing brought Moose straight to the emergency vet. They cited “no internal injuries, just a little shook up”. Really? Because when Channing brought him home to me after work, I did a quick exam myself and noticed multiple injuries -Moose’s chin bloodied and bruised and BOTH of his front teeth majorly chipped! Where was that on his chart?!
Our vets at the time missed some serious red flags during the examination and yet again we paid for a bunch of expensive imaging to be told “we found nothing, monitor him”.
History #3: Moose’s Bad Cold
Before Moose turned one, he contracted a terrible cold.
Again, we took him to the vet and there was little they could do beyond weighing him and taking his temperature. I can do that stuff at home! They sent us home with no more than a “if it doesn’t pass in a week, call me. ” As a vet with years of schooling far beyond my own veterinary knowledge, surely you can provide more!
Well, thank the ferret gods we came home early one day to find Moose unresponsive in bed, so sick he couldn’t even lift his little head. We finger-fed him food-paste and watched him like a hawk for the next 12 hours. He could have died. Where was the protocol for that?
Recognizing Our Gaps in Knowledge
Before we got Moose (our first ferret) , a vet told me “don’t get a ferret. They have too many health problems. You’ll spend thousands in vet bills and they wont live very long.” Well, we got Moose anyway and obviously we will have ferrets until the day we die. But she was right – ferrets are basically walking vet bills (Marshall Ferrets, anyway).
But you know what I was never warned about? The complete and utter lack of resources to even give these ‘walking-vet-bills’ the care and treatment they deserve! I will be here for my ferrets through sickness and in health but I will NOT stand idly by while vets continue to treat ferrets as an afterthought.
There are so many books dedicated to the proper veterinary care for dogs and cats. Do you want to know how many books my vet recommends to learn about ferrets? Three.
“If you read those three books you will know more about ferrets than most vets in the world,” she said.
Even beyond better breeding practices and diet, there must be more we can do – more research we can do to prolong their lives, better at-home training resources, something! Right now, mainstream veterinary care of ferrets seems so …rigid and outdated.
What We ALL Need
Everyone on this page wants to be a better ferret owner. I know that. So why aren’t we able to bridge the gap better between pet owners and vets? We should all know emergency protocol for the most basic ferret emergencies. I should know what to expect if I stepped on my ferret. We should all be taught how to give subcutaneous fluids. How hard would it be to learn how to palpate a ferret’s abdomen or conduct a full physical at home? Much like doing a monthly breast exam on yourself, can you imagine how regular at-home exams could improve the lives of our ferrets and potentially catch a fatal illness much earlier on? These skills aren’t hard to learn, the resources are just hard to find!
I am sure many of us become inspired to be a vet after such an experience as this one. But what if we don’t need another vet? What if what we actually need is a teacher to explain what the vet is saying and someone to teach us the many procedures we can actually do at home to save money and improve our ferrets’ chance of survival?
If there aren’t enough vets that are willing to go the extra mile for our ferrets, we have to take it upon ourselves to learn and conduct the care that is necessary for their survival.
Conclusion
Everything that could have gone wrong did go wrong during our trip to K-State Animal Hospital -even before I stepped on my ferret! We are lucky to have Moose by our side today but our experiences highlighted the serious lack of resources for ferret owners. Ferret owners need to band together to make a better world for our unique pets!
30 replies to “I Stepped on My Ferret”
Ryan Starman
I am truly amazed that you kept it together through all of that. I’m not sure I wouldn’t have lost my mind going through your situation. Moose is truly a lucky ferret to have such amazing ferret parents. I hope he and the rest of your fuzzballs have a long and playful life.
Kristi
Amen. Will DM you about recent convo with ‘our’ vet. Love ‘her’ to death, but sometimes question the what if’s too. Stick to The Holistic Ferret Forum, too, will help volumes.
Megan
I cried a few times while reading this, and also got up several times to go get reluctant hugs from my Ferrets. Moose has been through so much and so have you guys. I’m glad he has such great Ferrants!
Haley
Megan,
Thanks for your kind words! We are not perfect pet owners but I am confident we try our best every day. Hug your ferrets for me 🙂
Janet Stutz Cleven
I used to own Marshall ferrets. None of them lived past age five. I now have two rescue ferrets and I am very lucky that they are both very healthy. Which is good because our local vet wants nothing to do with them. Previously, our vet had humored us, saying they knew something about ferrets. I agree, I’d more luck on the Internet than in the clinic. I now notice more vets in our area, advertising care for pocket pets. You are excellent pet parents. Take care. I enjoy your posts.
Kristi
I couldn’t have said ANY of this better, and 100 agree on all points. These little fellas rely on us…why is it in 2019, that we lack so many qualified, common sense, empathetic vets? We get ourselves worked up for their treatments because we love them…and are so often let down. Being self aware and knowing how to do much of the diagnosis and treatment within reason, is a very viable solution.
Monica
Wow, thanks for sharing your experience with us. I wish ferrets would be healthy pets that lived as long as dogs or cats. We have so much to learn and to ask from exotic vets so that they educate themselves for the sake of our ferrets’ health.
Sending you love and prayers for Moose.
Haley
Hey love!
I totally agree. We all have so much more to learn to help our ferrets. Hopefully in this lifetime we can make a lot of progress!
Sarah Kelly
I have a Marshall ferret who will currently be age 7 on 9/9. While a vet once successfully removed a cancer growth outside of her ear, I have paid thousands in her lifetime for “inconclusive test results”, told she had insolinoma and she would die by Tufts animal hospital – one of the best in the state of Massachusetts (that was 4 years ago – she’s still here with no signs or symptoms.) I only learned how to treat her near deadly hairball blockages from online ferret owner communities (several vets, even exotic ones, had no idea what to do.) Then she almost died from anaphylactic reaction to her rabies vaccine. I started to understand why ferrets are outlawed in CA and NYC (not the real reason but) we don’t have vets that know how to care for them! Best wishes with your Moose. I have empathy for your plight.
Sarah K.
Rhode Island
Haley
Sarah,
Thanks for sharing your experiences with our ferret community. I am so sorry your ferret had a poor reaction to the rabies vaccine. This is not the first time I’ve heard of that happening, sadly. It’s certainly a balance between listening to the medical knowledge and expertise a good vet can provide, while also keeping feelers out there to get advice and recommendations from the ferret owner community (who know some great tips and tricks!).
Natalia
I’d say ferret owners need to band together to close down Marshall farms. This is not a joke and not the only one story. Two of my ferrets have Insulinoma and Adrenal. Every other Marshall ferret is sick. Ferrets are awesome pets, but should be bought from private breeders. I hope Moose will be alright. They all deserve a happy ending.
P.S. I have a lot of examples on my account @admirable_ferrets
Charlotte
Oh god I was so close to tears reading this 😭 ferret screams are the most heartbreaking sound and it’s the worst feeling when you know you’ve caused them pain. So sorry for all you’re going through. We’ve had many emergencies with the rescue ferrets we’ve had over the years, and several have passed. Our vets are fantastic though, and are exotic specialists so they know more than most about ferrets. One of our ferrets had a non-cancerous liver cyst which our vet operated on, and he completely recovered which was remarkable as he really was at death’s door (annoyingly though he developed insulinoma a few months later!). Sucks that they are prone to so many horrible health issues when they’re such wonderful little souls ❤ love to you guys and your fur babies, hopefully Moose feels better soon x
Haley
Charlotte,
Thanks for your kind words about Moose <3 I am so happy you have a good exotic vet!!
Mairin
I’m so glad you emphasize the importance of shopping around for the right vet. I don’t remember how I found mine but he has had several ferrets himself and I trust him. And when my ferret needed surgery for adrenal disease, he had a vet from a nearby zoo do it, because he was even more experienced with small animal surgeries.
For anyone in the northeast Ohio area, my vet is Dr Paul Ramsey in Euclid.
Haley
Mairin,
Thanks for sharing! A good vet can make ALL the difference!!
Kelly
Oh man, I read this with tears. My husband and I have loved and lost 2 ferrets now, still have one boy left. Our now departed 2 were girls rescued from a neglect situation – Bear and Nibbler. Bear looked a lot like Moose and she died of insulinoma complications (we were treating her for over a year, she was about 5 or 6 – woke up to find her having a seizure. We took her to our vet (thankfully, so thankfully, we were in Chicago then and had an amazing vet who checked her thoroughly and cared about her health) and they ran tests, her seizures wouldn’t stop so they sedated her. She also had a heart arrhythmia that we were always told was mild, we were told to go home and wait. Not 10 min after we did, we got a call to come back as she was not doing well, and she died on our drive back from heart complications from the medicine. I absolutely believe these vets did their best, they simply couldn’t help. It was horrible and worse when her sister Nibbler never stopped looking for her 🙁
Then under a year later, we moved to Washington state. We had Nibbler fully checked 2 days before we left to be safe – she had always had some strange health problem or another, in this case a digestive bacterial infection. Our good Chicago vet said her tests were safe and she should be fine in a couple days, and wished us well on our road trip. THAT was fun to deal with on a 3 day road trip with hotels (tip: hotel bathtubs are good places for ferrets who cannot control their bowels, poor thing). We kept her in clear sight with the A/C blasting – along with our other ferret (who is a lone boy/a rescue as well and never got along with the girls), 2 cats, and our snake. We took breaks every couple of hours and made sure she was eat/drinking/taking her meds and cleaned her carrier. Fyi hammocks work great in carriers and gives them a less bumpy cozy place 🙂 We arrived at our final destination, got everyone settled, and crashed out. The next morning, Nibbler couldn’t keep her balance. In a brand new state with 3 days of driving exhaustion on a weekend morning when places were closed, we finally found a vet with good reviews and rushed her in; they put her on fluids and gave her blood tests and an ultrasound etc, and said it seemed her digestive issues and dehydration was too much but ‘she should be ok’ – the next day, 4th of July when they were closed, a (wonderful) vet who came in on the holiday to monitor her and others, called us and told us she was not getting better and was fading fast, and asked if we would like to come in to say goodbye. So we did, and they gave her the mercy shot and we cried for hours and it was just the worst thing ever. I wish she could have pulled through or that circumstances of the move were different, but goes to show sometimes no matter what you do or how you prepare with experts, ferrets can decline so fast 🙁
Our boy now, Floki, has adrenal disease – diagnosed a year ago at age 6 (ish; he’s also a rescue). He had shots (watching that happen still gives me nightmares) and finally an implant – the implant seriously turned him into a new ferret. He was losing just a little fur back then (early warning sign – thankfully we caught it very early!) and today 9.5 months later this tail has started to lose just a little more so we’re taking him for a checkup soon. In Washington State we have vet options – our local vet does not do implants or surgeries so we have to drive him for 2-4 hour treks as he has 2 other vets here who are also great. I feel very lucky to be in an area where I have good vets, because I was terrified leaving ours in Chicago, though now if we have an emergency it’s a couple hours vs a 10 minute drive. And yes, those bills are very expensive and I also have thought about what could we do from home. As in the case with Nibbler, long drives can also hurt their health (I don’t know if it wouldn’t have happened anyway, but I’m sure it didn’t help) and Floki does get fussy on those long trips, especially when he poops and decides to keep scratching around (tip: always bring paper towels and cleaning spray… we forgot the first trip 😳) I know there is a shelter in Illinois (GCFA!) where members say they test their own ferrets’ blood in cases of insulinoma with human diabetes kits – I bought one of the “tiny prick tests” type but Bear passed before I used it. You just adjust for their levels vs human, and poke the tip of their tail (apparently it is less sensitive for them). I did give a cat IV treatments when she had kidney disease so am a bit over the needle fear thing (if you can ever really get over it; just have to think clinically/no one wants to hurt their pet – it is for their health!). Anyway I hope maybe this helps a little. We aren’t sure yet if we will have more ferrets after Floki honestly, we are going to decide that when he passes (in 50 years of course). Love you guys and wishing you all luck, I hope in a month you can get more answers. I can say if you are willing to fly anywhere and want to give a vet another go, Dr Claracoates at Chicago Exotics Vet Hospital is nothing less than wonderful. Much love and support!!
Haley
Kelly,
Thank you for taking the time to tell all of us about your unique ferret experiences. I also believe the vets that treated Bear did their best. Vets are the most passionate, caring people I have ever met. Sadly, we just don’t know enough about ferrets and illness to catch diseases sooner. I hope it improves as time goes on. Some part of me hopes this page can help! Especially if we all come here to share our experiences..
Can you tell me more about Nibbler’s digestive issues? Was there blood in the stool like with Moose? Was it an obstruction?
We wish the very best for Floki! Please keep us updated.
Thanks again for your comment. I hope you keep contributed to this site!
SB
This story is literally what every new ferret owner needs to read. If all things go wrong, this is exactly how they it will go down.
Haley
It was such a heart-wrenching ordeal. But yes, sadly you are right. What happened to us can happen to any ferret owner and we all need to be prepared! Thanks for commenting.
CHERYL L CLARK
I too feel that they can be bred to live longer without disease, but if they live longer you won’t buy another faster. That sucks. It is almost impossible to lay hands on a male and female that haven’t be fixed to breed your own. I wonder why. I have taken it a lot of rescues and the ones that don’t have the double dot always seem healthier and live longer, they aren’t as socialized, but I can live with that. I have 5 rescues that will be my last ones. I look at them and see how they will look in a couple of years, all sickly and my heart breaks. For now they have freedom (they free roam) all the love I have to give, they never go hungry and they get their favorite treats on demand. I will miss them and be very lonely but I am too old to get anymore and treat them right.
Haley
Cheryl,
I think it is commendable to know and accept our limits as pet owners. All we can do is our best and that’s enough. I am sure your ferrets are very lucky to have you as their mama. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience. I hope we see you again on this page!
Rae Hudspeth
If you ever need a good specialist, I recommend driving to Topeka instead of K State and see University Veterinary Care Clinic. I’ve had ferrets over 20 years since I lived/rescued in California, an they are one of the best clinics I’ve seen for ferrets.
I’ve stepped on one of mine as well as ending up with 12 sitches in my forehead avoiding doing it.
Ah, ferrets!
Ruby Rayne
I have no idea when this was written. SO terribly sad for everything Moose and you two had to go through! Thank you for sharing such an honest account. Ferrets are very difficult to be perfect with. Many pets die tragic, usually accidental deaths because many are afraid to share what happened.
Also, if you are willing to spend that kind of money to heal him — and you are amazing for it! — I highly recommend TheExoticVet.com and Dr Strunk in Bothell, Washington State. She is saving my little 3 month old from an extremely rare and deadly autoimmune disorder. It was credit card maxing, but worth every bit to have my boy come back from the brink of death. I have 5 ferrets and she is the only vet that I 100% completely trust.
And… shameless plug… If you are curious about my little ones, you can check them out on IG and YouTube: The Rayne Ferrets 🙂
Jackson Wilson
How do you even step on the poor baby
Haley
It’s unfortunate, but one of the most common ways a ferret gets stepped on is when they snuggle up in a clothing pile left on the floor or couch before someone steps or sits on it.
Tory Hayner
Kentucky one of these
commonwealth states. I love moose so much he is cute.,
If something happens or moose is sad say that tory loves mooses cute face and fur, Love tory
Kerry
I just lost my ferret baby a couple weeks ago 😭 (he was born in March). I have no clue what happened and had no time to get him to the vet. I left for work at 4pm and he was his normal self, he always laid on my feet while I get ready for work 🙂. I got home from work at 4:30am and he was acting wierd (not biting me) I watched him and held him until 10am when he ran under my bed. I was super tired so I fell asleep because I had to leave for work at 4pm. I woke up at 2pm to my husband telling me that he’s sorry our lil mouse passed away 😭(my 2 year old granddaughter named him mouse) I had to work 12 hours sobbing that night and I still have no clue why he died 😭. Thank you for all your information and your honest story
Eisley
I just got a new ferret named kiwi to be honest I am doing pretty good with taking care of him even though I’m ten. An no all my parents do for it is feed or water, play with Hime when I’m at school . Other than that he is all my responsibility and yeah I play with him like every single day that I’m off of school I’ll feed him at 6:00 in the morning cuz that’s the time that I get on the bus and then after that I’ll come home from school after 7 hours I will come into my room I’ll check on him if he has no food or water I’ll replace it and if his litter box is too dirty I’ll replace it and then I just start playing with him for the rest of the day
donnym
how do you guys have these problems my ferret is 6 and a half he eats cat food and he is the happiest thing ever he is not slowing down but he sleeps more when he is out he has never fell over 2 and a half feet, and he has never been stepped on how does this even happen like jeez.
Janette
I just stepped on my ferret and he ran around trying to vomit for awhile but has calmed down some now. He is drinking water but that’s it. He tried to eat a bit but stopped I think he still maybe a little query. I feel awful for stepping on him! He was sleeping in a cover on the floor that fell from bed instead of in his bed. He’s finally sleeping in his curled up position on his favorite blanket under my bed. I pray he is okay and better now. His name is Dallas and he will be 2 this year in June Marshall’s farm bred.
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