Cheryl--It sounds like you have a seriously ill ferret on your hands.
Please get him to the vet TODAY!  Pale gums and lethargy are symptoms of
several serious problems, including anemia, heart problems, internal
bleeding, and lymphosarcoma.  You vet will be able to evaluate your
ferret and get him on appropriate medications and supplements to make
him feel better, and possibly save his life.
 
Angie--Some ferrets are just skinny by nature.  Take a look at Cleo's
tail.  Is it long proportionally to her body?  Compare it to Mocha's
tail.  Also is Cleo's face longer and more "pointy"?  If both of these
are the case, she is a "whippet" body style, and should be on the thin
side.  I'm assuming that she eats, drinks, plays and acts like a normal
healthy ferret?  As long as this is the case and she's been seen by the
vet in the past year for a general examination, I wouldn't be terribly
concerned.  Ferrets have different body styles just like people do :) You
can try to fatten her up a bit by offering some "Duck Soup" (there are a
variety of recipe's on the Internet, the one I use is one jar lamb baby
food, one can Vanilla Ensure, a long squeeze of Nutrical, and equal parts
water.)
 
Trijntje--Without doing a biopsy you can't rule out cancer.  If it were
my ferret I think I would have one of the lumps removed and sent out for
biopsy.  That way you know if you are dealing with cancer (thus they will
all need to be removed) or something else.  If they aren't solid then the
vet should be able to do a much less invasive needle aspirate.  In all
honesty they possibly will grow large enough to become an issue even if
they are benign, and early removel is generally what the vets suggest in
a case like this.  Also, how was adrenal disease ruled out?
 
Samuel--You need to give more details.  How old was your ferret?  When
was the last time it had seen a vet?
 
On the symposium--regretfully I won't be able to attend this year, we
are in the process of building a house, and cash and time are both tight
as a result.  I just want to let everyone who is "thinking" about going
know that you should GO!  This will be one of the most interesting,
educational, and inspirational few days of your life!  It's with very
heavy heart that I can't make it.  I definitely plan on going to the next
one though!  The symposium is especially wonderful for you newer owners.
you will not only get a lot of information, but get to meet other ferret
owners and learn from them as well :) So don't think that it's not for
you even if you have only been owned by a ferret for a short period of
time.  You might learn something that will some day save your ferrets
life!
 
Anne
[Posted in FML issue 4197]