FERRET-SEARCH@LISTSERV.FERRETMAILINGLIST.ORG
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Date: | Mon, 2 Apr 2001 02:07:25 -0400 |
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Lisa wrote:
>I have a male about 3-4 years old. Very healthy and normal...but, He
>licks his own pee! It has gotten so bad that after he urinates, he'll
>lick that area of his belly, thus leaving his belly furless...bald!
>Crazy little guy. He did this all last summer, and had stopped for a
>while, now I am seeing this pattern again! Why?, is my first question.
>Secondly, How do I prevent it? This can't be healthy!
Hi Lisa--
I replied to this question the last time you asked it. You must have
missed it. See what your vet says.
------Original Message------
No, it probably isn't. Please take him to a ferret-knowledgeable vet.
Licking the opening of the urethra can be a sign of an obstruction, such as
a bladder stone. This is discussed in Purcell's book _Ferrets, A Guide for
Practioners_ on page 147 (in my copy) under "Urolithiasis." In Chuckles'
case, it was not a stone, but some other obstruction. Since I'd been told
that some ferrets just like to lick their urine, I thought he was just
extra goofy. He also licked his belly bald. Within a few weeks, it got
to the point he couldn't pee at all.
If you catch it early, it may be simple to fix. Because some urinary
obstructions can be adrenal-related, I'd have your vet check that, too.
I hope he is just crazy. Good luck!
----
The Beach Boyz*
surf on over to http://Beach_boyz.go.cc
Californians for Ferret Legalization: http://www.ferretnews.org
Get & use the CFL Wanted poster: http://ferrets.go.cc
[Posted in FML issue 3376]
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