Hello,
 
Need some help with this boy I agreed to take.  (Someone really needs to
teach me to say "No.")  My impression, in agreeing, was that this was a
much-loved, well cared for middle aged NM ferret.  The couple that owned
him had both developed severe allergies.  They still kept him for years,
getting antihistamine shots, because they liked him so much, but they
couldn't afford to do it anymore, and he was getting less and less time
out of his cage (granted, a 4 story Superpet all to his lonesome).
Healthy, extremely good natured, current on vaccinations.  Perfect (I
thought), except a birth defect that made him small and left him with
only a stump of a tail.
 
Right.  That was the idea.  My first thought, upon taking him out of the
carrier, was "omg, he stinks!"  So I'm holding this big, old guy with a
very rough (stinky!) coat and overgrown nails, and the guy is talking
about how he uses MF Bi-Odor in the drinking water, and how well it works
(I'm thinking, "OMG, how bad did he smell before?!")  They gave me his
big cage, along with food (Kaytee Forti-Diet, yuk!), and litter (TidyCat,
yuk!).
 
Oh, and the ferret definitely has a stumpy tail.  Looks more like it got
chopped off to me, though, as the end is bald.  More concerning, however,
are earmites, a patch of alopecia on his back at the base of his tail,
and a dramatic potbelly.
 
I need a lot of advice.  Up 'til now, my ferrets have all been young and
healthy.  I have read about Adrenal (and will go refresh my memory), but
never had personal experience with it.
 
The earmites I can handle.  I trimmed his nails (although, to my horror,
he doesn't like Ferretone).  Am I right to assume the hairlessness is
probably Adrenal cancer?  I'll have the vet look into it, anyway.  What
puzzles me is the potbelly.  All of the ferrets I have taken in lately
have been really fat.  I mean, like 3.5 lb girl fat.  But when this
ferret ("Kermy") walks, it just strikes me as being very abnormal.  He
has a big, round belly hanging under him.  I tried to feel his abdomen,
but have no idea what I'm looking for.  I will also have the vet check
this, but is it a symptom you are all familiar with?
 
And my immediate concern--the horrible smell.  I am used to all of my
ferrets with long, soft coats and less odor than my dog.  I would really
like to get Kermy this way...but don't know how to go about it.  He feels
like a German wirehair pointer.  Is age a factor?  I would like to give
him a bath for immediate relief, but have a strict no-bath policy with
the rest of my ferrets.  I hold to the theory that bathing makes them
smell worse because they produce fresh oils...the last thing I want with
this one.  I'm sure the couple bathed him often, so maybe a break would
do more help than harm?  Or should I wash him so that there is a fresh
start with the new food & environment?
 
If I can convince him to eat other foods, I'll change his diet.  He's not
cooperating so far, but there is no chance in you-know-where that I'm
going to voluntarily buy a bag of Kaytee Forti-Diet, so he's got about 3
weeks to select a better food.  <g> Like I said, he won't accept
vitamin/mineral supplements, either, so that's not an option.
 
Please tell me how you would go about improving this ferret's condition
and identifying/treating his ailments.
 
Sincerely,
Kara (and what is now 16 fuzbutz, the identified border of sanity having
been 12)
 
p.s.  Got a large tattoo of two ferrets on my forearm last week.  If
anyone is interested in seeing pictures of flash/ink, let me know.
[Posted in FML issue 3857]