Hello to everyone, I was one of the lurkers that also had a hacking/coughing ferret. So, here are the results: Last night Indy and I (and my dad the chauffeur) went to the very ferret knowledgeable vet to find out what was going on. I read some of the previous posts and was getting very scared about heart disease, lung problems, etc... So, a good listen to the heart and breathing of the squirmy little beast (my vet said that he has never seen a ferret as full of vim and vinegar as my little Indy ... awww!! Not too much sympathy for the ferret, please, he did afterall decide to bite the vet!!) Nothing sounded out of the ordinary, but he asked if I would agree to x-rays, to rule out other problems. I said, YES! Of course! So, off goes Indy to the X-Ray room. My poor baby!! He was not a happy camper, and he bit the vet again!! Anyway, the end result is that there is nothing the matter with the heart and lungs. No blockage etc... in the throat (a gastro-intestinal blockage is not an issue here at all). What is does have is an inflammation of .... (it starts with a p ... cells). This is from coughing due to ..... well, you got it! Now I have to figure out what is bothering him! And not the other four!! Well, I would like to thank those that did post to get to the vet quickly, because after listening to what it could be (long list) and what it finally ended up being, I was very happy!! Indy is on Steroids for 2 weeks - Pediapred - (I think I spelled that right) and then providing he has stopped coughing, we'll stop with the medication and see what happens. I have decided to change litters and see if that is it. Hope this does ease some of the people's minds if their ferret is coughing or hacking, but please, do go to the vet, to be on the safe side. Take care, Marion [Posted in FML issue 2576]