Please help, I need advice in the meantime.
 
In the meantime being for another few days before I have the money to pay
for a vet visit.  Before I get any flames, you should know that I DID have
an emergency stash, but spent it two days ago to repair my car.  (Almost
$1000 in repairs.)  I intend to get this little guy, along with my others,
(as my post yesterday mentioned,) to the vet within the week, but I need
help in the meantime.
 
My new guy, Nietzsche, the rescue, is fitting in quite nicely, seems happy,
and aside from eating and drinking a LOT, appears to be in great health.
No signs of parasites, inward or outward, or I would have quarantined him.
No fleas, no flea dirt, and after a thorough bath, and a good conditioning,
he seems to have no abnormal irritations.  I noticed something today,
though, which concerns me.
 
First, I have never dealt with fleas, in my ferrets anyway, only in dogs.
While reading Ferrets for Dummies, I took it that fleas normally lay their
eggs in bedding and carpet, etc., rather than actually on the ferret.  The
ferret, (and us humans,) are mearly dinner.  And as I mentioned, there are
no fleas, nor flea dirt anywhere on this little guy.  Now, I have read many
times here on the FML of people cutting out patches of something or other,
flea "beds" as they were called.  First, what do these look like?
 
Well, I doubt that it is fleas, since there are none.  But what there is,
is a scab of some kind.  Hidden under the fur on his belly, near dead
center of his rib cage, there is a scab.  A black lump of crusty skin which
would not wash off, but was certainly a scab, because of the way it hung on
to the skin.  When I washed at it, bits came away from the outer edges that
were reddish brown, like clotted blood.  It appears and behaves just like a
scab you or I might have.  It is approx. the size of a cigarette.  A patch
of about one inch in diameter surrounding the scab is nearly furless, but
not so much that when the surrounding fur is smoothed over, it doesn't look
like there is fur missing, which is why I didn't catch it until now.  I
felt it when I was petting him, and had to separate all the fur out to find
it.  So, I guess what I am saying is that directly surrounding the scab
there is NO fur, but for an inch or so the fur is thin.  He doesn't appear
in any undue discomfort over the thing, except when I was picking at it.
 
My question is, what could have caused this?  Did someone burn him?  Should
I be too worried about it?  Of course I will keep it clean, and monitor it
for infection, and as soon as we get to the vet, I will have him look at
it.  But, is there something besides an injury that this might be, and if
so, what?  And if not, what can I do for him?  If he seems ok with it,
should I just let it heal?  Please help.  I feel so bad for this little
guy.  He has already been through so much.
 
Thanks.
 
Melissa Barnes
[Posted in FML issue 3343]