Lisa wrote:
>I have a male about 3-4 years old.  Very healthy and normal...but, He
>licks his own pee!  It has gotten so bad that after he urinates, he'll
>lick that area of his belly, thus leaving his belly furless...bald!
>Crazy little guy.  He did this all last summer, and had stopped for a
>while, now I am seeing this pattern again!  Why?, is my first question.
>Secondly, How do I prevent it?  This can't be healthy!
 
Hi Lisa--
 
I replied to this question the last time you asked it.  You must have
missed it.  See what your vet says.
 
 ------Original Message------
No, it probably isn't.  Please take him to a ferret-knowledgeable vet.
 
Licking the opening of the urethra can be a sign of an obstruction, such as
a bladder stone.  This is discussed in Purcell's book _Ferrets, A Guide for
Practioners_ on page 147 (in my copy) under "Urolithiasis." In Chuckles'
case, it was not a stone, but some other obstruction.  Since I'd been told
that some ferrets just like to lick their urine, I thought he was just
extra goofy.  He also licked his belly bald.  Within a few weeks, it got
to the point he couldn't pee at all.
 
If you catch it early, it may be simple to fix.  Because some urinary
obstructions can be adrenal-related, I'd have your vet check that, too.
 
I hope he is just crazy.  Good luck!
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[Posted in FML issue 3376]