Ferret Care Can Be Scary

We almost lost one of our pet ferrets today- and it was a result of doing exactly the right thing. Regular veterinary care is important. At least once a year all of the ferrets in the house go to the vet. It’s usually for their annual rabies shots- however we’ve also been for ear mites, breathing trouble, and numerous other issues. Now that the kits are adults, we’re also going to get an x-ray and blood work, in case there is a problem in the future the doctor will be able to compare to previous test results when everything was fine. We have a number of ferret supplies on hand, including basic first aid, as well as Ferretone, Ferret Lax, and of course Duk soup. It’s just part of being a responsible ferret owner and one of those important pet raising tips.

Anyway, every time we get the rabies shot our vet has us stick around a bit and wait to see if there’s a reaction. Normally this consists of ten minutes of me grumbling since nothing ever happens. This time something most definitely did happen. Emily, our smallest jill passed out. Talk about scary! The vet tech had her back to the vet in nothing flat, and through fast action on her part everything is fine. Our ferret vet is awesome- she’s a specialist and was well equipped to handle this, and now I’m very grateful we stick around after a shot. The vet said that in twenty years, she’s had two ferrets die as a result of a rabies vaccination. This isn’t something we come across before, so I thought I’d put a warning out there that when the vet stays stick around, they’re not just being cautious. Had we been on the interstate we might have had a very different outcome to our emergency- in this case Emily is fine.

In the future, we’re going to be giving Emily a bit of Children’s Benedryl before her shot. Before you give your ferret any medication, be sure to consult with your vet.