I have a problem with one of my new ferrets that I am hoping to get some
advice about.  Yesterday he started making a sound kind of between wheezing
and gagging; and it sounds like it could be a cough, too.  We've had him
just a week now, and he's been very healthy and active.  I seperated him
from the other ferrets when it started, but he did it on and off all day
yesterday, and also some this morning, though yesterday evening was the
worse.  He starts doing this when he gets active; when he's sleeping, his
breathing is fine, and when he's just standing or lying it's fine, but when
he starts moving around, it starts.  He's active, playful, has an appetite
(though he had a little trouble eating last night because of this wheezing
thing), and his poopie is normal.  He's not lethargic at all, and looks
bright-eyed.  He's only a year-and-a-half old, neutered, and I believe he
is overweight (kind of pear-shaped, weighs over four pounds, soft belly),
but he's also the most active and most piggish of our four ferrets.  But I
don't know what to do about this problem.  I read the medical FAQs and I
was concerned about conjestive heart failure, because of his big abdomen
and because the coughing/wheezing/gagging sounds, well, wet (I held him up
to my ear to hear him breathe, and there were all kinds of noises coming
from him, kind of gurgly and liquidy sounding when he would take one of
those gasping inhalations).  But he seems awfully young for that kind of
problem, and he was still squirming to get down and play; he seems to have
the most endurance of the four of them!  Then I thought maybe it was a
cold, but his eyes seem bright and his nose isn't drippy or anything, and
the noises he is making do sound more like a sometimes wheeze, sometimes
gag, than it does like a cough.  Then I thought about a hairball, and gave
him stuff for that, but I don't think a hairball would make that wet of a
sound.  What do you guys think?  I'd appreciate any opinions you might
have!  I just got back from an out-of-state vacation and I've also just
spent probably $100 more dollars getting these new guys situated and set-up
at my house, and frankly I just can't afford a vet bill on top of it right
now unless I'm absolutely sure it's a life-or-death situation.  When I
checked on him this morning, he seemed just as lively as ever, and took
some ferretone, and really wanted out of the cage, but he did start
wheezing again, but not as bad as yesterday evening (he never made a sound
last night while he slept).  Any ideas on what the problem might be?  Any
help would be greatly appreciated.
[Posted in FML issue 2433]