>She coughs loudly and about once every couple of hours.  According to
>my ferret bible (Ferrets for Dummies), a weight gain combined with loud
>coughs can be a sign of heartworms.
 
I had never heard about weight gain & coughing being signs of heartworms.
My Jasmin, who has been with us now for a few months, started gaining a
lot of weight a few months before we got him, according to his previous
owners.  We assumed it was because they had switched him to cat food, and
since we got him (he eats ferret food again), he hasn't gained any more
weight.  But he also hasn't lost an ounce!  Also, he has had a cough the
whole time we have had him.  We initially assumed it was because he was
starting to shed, then the others did, and he does lick himself and the
other ferrets quite a bit.  But ferretlax hasn't completely gotten rid of
it, and it's been long enough now that I'm starting to wonder.  Before he
came here, he had never been given heartguard.  Now I have heard of green
pee being a sign of heartworms, and I don't think his pee was ever green,
but I'm not sure.  I would think that the heartguard would have killed any
heartworms if he did have them, but again, I'm not positive.  I definitely
would like to know if I should be concerned about heart damage.
 
Shannon, Sterling, Pandora, & Jasmin
[Posted in FML issue 3581]