Jill, when a ferret gets skinny enough to worry you have as vet visit so
that you can look for the cause.  Plain old normal thinness is fine and
even healthy, but serious skinniness needs you to seek hands- on expert
veterinary help.  Some serious things that need fast treatment can be to
blame.  If the vet thinks that this is a potentially serious case expect
to potentially have -- depending on signs, ages, etc. -- an exam, chest
imaging, CBC with Chemistry Panel, and/or whichever other tests your vet
feels are needed.  Some serious things that can cause thinness:
cardiomyopathy (esp. hypertrophic which can often need an ultrasound to
be found), blockage or partial blockage, adrenal neoplasia (often there
will be a move to a pear shape with this), etc.
 
>What is the story on giving laxatives to ferrets?  Why wd they need this
>on a regular basis?
 
Well, they don't necessarily.  It more depends on the ferret and time
of year, how prone the individual is to furballs, etc..  We give on an
as-need basis, but more often during shedding seasons, though we rely
more then on combing and brushing to remove loose fur to avoid ingestion.
If a given ferret is major groomer of all of the rest of the furries then
that ferret may need it more often.  If a ferret is big on bed-snacking
(eating in bedding) that has exposed fake sheep fleece or exposed fake
fur then that ferret is actually better served by sewing sheeting over
these fabrics which have caused blockages in a handful of ferrets who
were consistent bed-snackers.  There are other reasons why laxative may
be given.  Right now in the ferret community there are very split
opinions on how often to give laxative.
 
BTW, ferret fur does not break down well in the stomach and artificial
fabrics really don't either.  This is not true for all types of fur.
Some types are short enough to be a problem and others (like rabbit fur)
break down into small pieces easily in stomachs as memory serves.  Check
the archives to be sure.
 
Terri, you are right that you might as well test for ADV (ADV = Aleutian
Disease Virus, and AD = Aleutian Disease and they are often used
interchangeably and have been for decades -- info for those who will
wonder what this is)!  It can't hurt and it may help.  Meanwhile, you
can find info in the FML and FHL archives.  The ones from Danee are
especially good, and you can find links to info in the International
Ferret Congress site.  It is a good idea for anyone to test for ADV.  We
did a few months ago (all fine and none with symptoms, but if you don't
test then you don't know, as Danee has pointed out so correctly).  Our
tests all came out fine, BTW.
 
-- Sukie (not a vet)
Ferret Health List
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
FHL Archives
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org
International Ferret Congress
http://www.ferretcongress.org
[Posted in FML issue 4932]