Why Does My Ferret Have Diarrhea? Causes & Treatments

Why does my ferret have diarrhea? are you facing this situation? then you landed in the right place.

As a ferret owner, I had experienced dealing with diarrhea in my ferret. On that note, I strongly recommend you to know about it so that your pet can recover before anything gets serious.

In this article, I will share the reasons for diarrhea in a ferret, how to deal with ferret diarrhea, home remedies for ferret diarrhea, and more.

So, make sure to read till the end.

Why does my ferret have diarrhea?

There are various reasons for diarrhea at different ages of ferrets. Some of the most common causes of ferret diarrhea are gastrointestinal foreign bodies, parasites, rotavirus, dietary changes, and more.

When ferrets start infecting with diarrhea they start feeling loose physically and mentally. Due to this they stop eating and start losing weight, vomiting, and anorexia.

It is easier to treat and cure ferret diarrhea when it is diagnosed in the early stages than when it lasts for some time.

So, in that case, your question will be, how will I know that my ferret started infecting diarrhea? Keep reading the next heading to get your answer.

Symptoms of diarrhea in ferret

First of all, diarrhea is not a diagnosis of disease in ferrets, but they are among many illnesses that your pet may go through.

Also, a ferret may not appear so it’s tough to recognize it. However, there are certain changes occur in the ferret body that help you to spot the illness.

For example, vomiting, weight loss, weakness, lethargy, and dehydration are some common things your ferret will exhibit when infected with diarrhea.

It’s highly recommended to contact the vet in the first place when you spot any of these diarrhea symptoms in your ferret.

Ferret diarrhea causes

There are various reasons behind diarrhea in ferrets. Precisely, there are different bacteria, fungal and viral found in nature that cause ferret diarrhea.

From parasites to gastrointestinal foreign bodies, stress to change of diet, and more are responsible for ferrets infected with diarrhea.

Other than these there are some physical reasons as well like change of diet, stress in ferrets, and more.

The following are the major causes of diarrhea in ferrets:

Parasites

Parasites such as coccidia and giardia are highly active towards young ferrets. You need to be extra aware of these parasites towards your furry friend.

Parasite campylobacter jejuni is also very active in giving diarrhea to ferrets. The weird part is that this is also found in healthy ferrets. So, without contacting a veterinarian you can’t spot the difference.

This bacteria is highly active and can transfer to humans from ferrets.

Change of diet

If your ferret is eating food that isn’t for his/her body then it will result in diarrhea. Usually, a dietary change causes short-term diarrhea in ferrets, but in some cases, it gets worse.

Ferrets are super active and active due to which they will find and eat anything they find. For example. they can find anything on the floor, steal other pet food, eat from waste food storage, and more.

As these foods don’t align with ferret’s nature type so they will badly affect them.

It usually happens with new ferret owners, one starts feeding ferrets food that is high in fats which will be quite bad and will lead to diarrhea.

Infectious disease

Infectious disease is one of the most common and highly responsible causes of diarrhea in ferrets. It lasts for a longer time and if not treated well it can result even worse.

Epizootic catarrhal enteritis is a viral disease that is super active in infecting diarrhea in ferrets. This vial catches an old ferret introduced with a new one.

Ferret diarrhea through infectious disease is not like dietary ie they will not cure itself and last for a short time. So, it’s strongly recommended to contact the vet without a delay.

Ferret stress

Like humans ferrets too get stressed for any unwanted changes or other reasons.

A ferret’s stress during transport, given to owners from the breed center, or change the place from one to another owner and more.

In these cases, ferrets start feeling low which results in diarrhea. Once the ferret starts feeling comfortable the ferret stress diarrhea will fade away.

Eating unknown or foreign body

The curious, chewing, and digging nature of the ferret leads to eating unknown things.

Your ferret can find anything at your place and start chewing. Things like plastic items, paper, and rubber can easily be chewed by ferrets.

The curious nature of ferrets will always lead them to explore things around them. So, you must be careful what your ferret is carrying in his/her mouth.

How to prevent diarrhea in ferret

Knowing the problem is one thing and finding a path to solve these problems is another and the real deal. The same goes for diarrhea in ferrets as well.

So, after knowing- why does my ferret have diarrhea? finding the solution to this problem is something you’re looking for right?

Well, you don’t need to worry, Im giving the most effective ways through which you can prevent diarrhea in ferrets.

Keeping ferrets healthy is the ultimate solution for diarrhea. Following are the bunch of factors you need to take care of in ferrets to make him/her healthy.

• Clean ferret cages, litter boxes, and bedding regularly.
• Keep giving ferret vaccinations as directed by the veterinarian.
• Wash your hands before after interacting with your and another ferret as well.
• Don’t make any sudden changes in the ferret diet.
• Make sure you have a ferret-proof place so that your pet can’t eat any foreign body.

What can I give my ferret for diarrhea?

Are you having a question- what can I give my ferret to stop diarrhea?

When you find out that your ferret is having diarrhea and you have no soon time for a vet, then giving medicine at home is the only solution.

You can give Pedialyte to your furry friend for instant help with diarrhea. This is easily available in drug and baby care stores.

Pedialyte provides instant electrolytes that are lost due to diarrhea. However, if you notice that your ferret looks too much then don’t wait for anything and visit an emergency veterinary hospital.

What are home remedies for ferret diarrhea?

After being infected with diarrhea, a ferret soon becomes dehydrated. So, make sure you have given enough clean water both in the ferret bowl and bottle.

If your ferret is feeling low, you can also help him/her drink water to get hydrated. So, giving water to your ferret is the first home remedy for a ferret having diarrhea.

Keep maintaining the water intake frequency in your ferret body. Having water is a great way to regain the lost electrolytes due to diarrhea.

Other than water, keep maintaining great ferret hygiene like proper cleaning of cage, litter box, bedding, and keeping away from other pets.

List of viruses that cause diarrhea in ferret

Several bacteria and viruses majorly affected ferrets for diarrhea more than any other factors. These viruses are higher intensity and last for a longer time in your pet.

Being aware of these viruses is a great way to beat diarrhea in ferrets. There were cases when the owner couldn’t recognize that their ferret got diarrhea due to viruses that led to the death of the ferret.

On that note, mentioning some most common yet highly transmissible diarrheal of ferret viruses that you need to know:

• Epizootic Catarrhal Enteritis (ECE)  
• Coccidia and Giardia
• Helicobacter mustelae
• Helicobacter pylori
• Rotavirus 
• Orthomyxovirus

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What does a dehydrated ferret look like?

The eyes of a dehydrated ferret are slightly to very sunken.

What viruses can ferrets get?

Influenza virus, rabies virus, rotavirus, and parvovirus are some common viruses that ferrets can easily infected with.

Can ferrets get sick from humans?

Yes, the common cold and flu can transfer to each other.

How long do ferrets stay sick?

It depends upon the type of disease they are diagnosed with. For distemper and influenza, they can stay up to one to weeks.

Conclusion

Now you have the answer- why does my ferret have diarrhea?

These are various factors like infectious disease, dietary changes, stress, eating foreign bodies, and more which cause diarrhea in ferrets.

Maintaining the great health of your ferret is the ultimate solution to diarrhea.