Hello,
 
I am writing to see if anyone has experienced the same thing with their
little ones.
 
My little girl, Wheezey, is about 3 to 4 months old.  (the kids at the pet
store were not to clear with the info.) She is a Marshal.  When I first
brought her and her "big brother Nero" home she was your usual sleepy
little cute, cute, cute little baby.
 
One month later, she is still just as cute... only now my adorable little
weasel has turned into a frolicking bowling ball with legs!  She is so fat!
My once tiny little ferret now possesses the largest belly I have ever seen
on a critter that size.  It does not actually drag the ground yet, but when
you pick her up, or when she stretches out strait... she looks like a
little garden snake who has just eaten a small horse!
 
Needless to say, her belly is quite large.  I've also noted that it is
much warmer too.  I examine it about 50 times a day to try and detect any
problems.  ("Hey you, leave my belly alone!") Nothing really changes,...
she just looks FAT.  Last week our vet said that everything was fine, as
long as she ate and pooped regularly.  He even showed me how he could
squeeze her belly to show that there was nothing scary or solid somewhere
in there.
 
Well, she eats and poops just dandy.  She's a super pooper in fact.  The
more I think about it, she is a bit of a Miss Piggy, but I thought that
was normal.  You know, a healthy growing ferret?
 
Should I regulate her diet?  I thought that you were SUPPOSED to leave food
out for them all the time?  Oh yes, I feed them Marshal Ferret Diet.
 
The other night I freaked out because I thought that her belly felt harder
than usual.  Also, it felt more firm just on one side of her belly.  I
immediately thought tumor or something.  But by the next morning, the belly
felt normal again (though still quite large and warm), and the little
monster was eating and pooping as usual.
 
Nero was always a rowdy,terror-ferret, and now Wheezey is growing into a
little terror herself.  There seems to be no end to the energy.  Which is
great because her belly doesn't seem to be dragging her down.
 
Anyway, am I just being paranoid?  Is this normal during this stage in
their life?  Like our own dear chubby-pre-teen days?  A little advise would
calm my fears.  And save one grateful ferret from the onslaught of tummy
pokes and tickles.
 
Thank you,
 
dani loftin
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[Posted in FML issue 3103]