Karri, we are very sorry about your bereavements.
 
PLEASE, do an autopsy and do inform the breeder of the deaths.  You need to
know if you have a local hazard which might also kill your other ferrets.
The breeder needs to know about the losses to cull the mother and father
from breeding if this is genetic, and needs to know the cause and the
symptoms to warn other owners so they can take rapid action.  Prompt medical
care very often saves lives, as does preventive medical care.  Could you say
more about the symptoms, and about their standard behavior, and markings
(symmetrical on head or not?), please.  Given your short description some
things to look for are Juvenile Lympho (Was an autopsy done on the first one
as is the standard recommendation with unexpected deaths?  It could be
important for understanding more about mysterious JL if the second turns out
to have that.), an inherited problem with the pancreas or liver, inherited
tendency toward cardiomyopathy or other circulatory defect (Tell us what the
head markings and eye colors were like -- were they asymmetrical as happens
in a few genetic defects which also can damage the circulatory system?),
some infection which is normally harder to transmit except from mother to
fetus, a serious disease or parasite which might express itself only when
the animal is stressed or the problem advanced (in which case your others
may need treatment to survive), accidental poisoning (for example, for a
houseplant favored by the ferrets -- keeping in mind that some plants are
not what they have been labelled such as Jessamine and Jasmine both being
called "jasmine" in stores), etc.  The lives saved by understanding what the
causes were will be a living memorial to your little, lost loves.
 
Autopsies can save lives, everyone!!!!!!!  You learn what a problem is and
get to save other ferrets which may be affected, and your vet or the other
vets in the practise who want to learn more about ferrets have a safe way to
do that, as well, so they become more skilled which helps your other
ferrets.  It's well worth the attached sadness and the cost except when the
case is well understood and the attending vets all well experienced.  We
hate doing it, but we do it anyway, because it helps so many others.
 
Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 2059]