Charlene:
 
>I only have experience with really old ferrets and younger ferrets, I've
>never had a "middle-aged" ferret.  At what age do they start to slow down?
>Edith is approaching 3 years and she seems to be slowing down quite a bit.
> Also, when she was just a baby she broke her arm and was in a
>cast so she never really developed a lot of stamina.  Could she be suffering
>from arthritis or rheumatism???  She is a healthy 2 lbs (she's gained .25 lbs
>in the last month when everyone else is losing their winter fat.) A good
>description for her I guess is "depressed" - she does the speed bump a lot
>more, sleeps more, keeps to herself more... Is this normal for 3 years???
 
Charlene - ferrets often slow down around three, but that's also when a lot
of chronic diseases start.  The first thing, though I would be concerned
with is her environment.  Ferrrets that sleep a lot and don't play are often
no longer stimulated by their enviroment.  When one of our ferrets starts
acting this way, we make sure to take more time with them, forcing them to play.
 
        The broken arm may be giving her a bit of a problem, as they will
develop arthritis as they get older (if the break was near a joint).  If the
break was mid-shaft, generally there is no residula problem.  Does she ever
limp?
 
        Finally, I would get a little bloodwork if you are concerned - it
never hurts to check out the kidneys and glucose levels at this age.  We
often start to pick up signs of insulinoma or kidney disease at this age.
 
Bruce H. Williams, DVM         Dept. of Veterinary Pathology
Chief Pathologist, AccuPath    Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
[log in to unmask]         Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
                               [log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1216]