Do ferrets bite when they're in pain?  I had a female ferret, Peanut, who
was diagnosed with lymphosarcoma and we lost her after one month.  Anyway,
after the diagnosis, she started to go downhill quickly.  She was always
a bit of a nipper, but she started to do a weird thing...she'd lick my
arm or hand several times, then bite down REALLY hard!  She seemed almost
desperate to bite, and I assumed it was out of pain.  Now I have another
female who seems to go off and on with not feeling well, several trips to
the vet show nothing abnormal.  But sometimes, maybe once per month, she'll
do the exact same thing...lick, lick, lick, then chomp.  Is this pain?
 
Also, just a quick story.  This same female, Clover, on one of her vet
trips bit the vet tech while being rehydrated with a syringe.  Even though
I told the vet when I took her that she would probably bite due not feeling
well, they took her into another room away from me to rehydrate.  This was
a vet I hadn't been to before, but I took her there as I felt Clover needed
to see a vet quickly due to not acting herself and seeming very sick - not
eating, drinking and green poops.
 
The next day I got a phone call from the vet saying they reported us to
Animal Control.  Luckily I had gotten rabies vaccine for all ferrets and
had the certificate, or they would have quarantined her for 10 days while
she was sick.  They still insisted on 2 followup visits.  Anyway, point is,
I'm very glad I got rabies vaccine.  I was hesitant at the time since NO
ONE who doesn't KNOW ferrets is allowed to touch or handle them, since I
don't want anyone to be nipped.  But the vet convinced me.  Who would have
thought that another vet would report us to animal control?
 
Any ideas if the ferrets bite from pain would be appreciated.
 
Thanks!!
[Posted in FML issue 3120]