STA Ferret Rescue

Site Map

Ferret vets >

Cancer is currently the most common cause of illness and death of the ferret. Approximately 70 – 90% of all ferrets will develop some kind of cancer in their lifetime. Older ferrets, especially, seem prone to cancers; and multiple cancers are common in ferrets over 5 years of age. Fortunately, with regular veterinary check ups, blood work and X – rays, early detection and treatment can be achieved. Many cases of cancer in ferrets that are not curable are at least controllable if caught early.

ADRENAL DISEASE/ ADENOMA OR ADENOCARCINOMA
This is a cancer of the adrenal gland, which is a small organ about the size of a small pea. The ferret has two adrenal glands – one near each kidney. The adrenal glands produce hormones which control a number of metabolic functions in the ferret’s body. Most affected ferrets develop adrenal adenoma, which is a benign form of the disease (i.e. it does not spread to other parts of the body)

Adenocarcinoma is the malignant (spreading) form of the disease. Ferrets may have one or both glands affected by cancer. This is a common cancer usually found in ferrets over 2 years of age. About 40% of ferrets in the US develop it, is not as prevalent amongst ferrets in the UK.

Symptoms: Signs may include: alopecia (hair loss) over all or part of the body (often starting on the lower back or along the back bone); poor coat quality (dry, brittle, thinning); loss of muscle and skin tone; itchy, flaky skin – sometimes with red patches or scaling; large deposits of abdominal fat; and a strong musk odor may be apparent. Spayed females may develop vulvular swelling as if they were in heat. Males may become more aggressive as if they were in rut.

Treatment: Surgery used to be the recommended treatment for most ferrets under 5 years of age. Since this usually is a fairly slow progressing disease, many older ferrets can live out normal life spans without surgery, but males may develop prostate problems and females with swollen vulvas are susceptible to infection. More Information >

In 2008 Deslorelin (Suprelorin), a slow-release Gn-RH implant, was licenced for use in the UK. This which when used on a ferret suffering from Adrenal disease, can cause the adrenal gland size ito reduce and physical appearance to improve (hair growth to resume, appetite and body condition to improve, and in the case of females the vulva swelling to dissappear within weeks of the implant). If the gland is not carcinogenic then deslorelin will work very well, however if the gland is cancerous then surgery is the best option. The Deslorelin implant will need to be replaced every 18 months, costs vary between vets.

Prevention: While vets don't know for sure what exactly causes adrenal disease in ferrets, most theories point to two possible causes:

1- Spaying and neutering at a young age
Many large ferret breeders spay or neuter ferrets at the age of 5 or 6 weeks, which may cause the ferret's body to overcompensate for the lack of normal sex hormones. Adrenal disease has occurred in ferrets that are spayed or neutered after they have reached sexual maturity, but it is not nearly as common.

2 - Extended photoperiods
Most ferrets have been forced to adapt to their owner's lifestyle and are exposed to at least four or five hours of artificial light in the evening in addition to the natural light during the day. This limits the time they spend in darkness, which decreases melatonin production. Too little melatonin results in overstimulation of the adrenal glands. Ferrets should have no less than 12 hours of complete darkness throughout a 24 hour period.

When a ferret develops adrenal disease, it is most likely the combination of a variety of factors. In addition to environmental factors, some ferrets are probably genetically predisposed to developing adrenal gland cancer.

In the UK some vets are now recommending the use of deslorelin implants (aka adrenal impants) instead of surgically neutering, or at least along with neuturing (at any age) to reduce the chance of adrenal disease. These implants need to be replaced every 18 months. These are early days, so it is not clear as yet wether this approach really does work as a preventative measure.

INSULINOMA
Insulinoma is a cancer of the beta cells of the pancreas. It is fairly common in ferrets over 3 years of age and approximately 40 – 50% of all ferrets get it (these are statistics from the USA). This cancer causes the beta cells to produce abnormally high levels of insulin, which drives the sugar out of the blood stream and into the body too quickly. This causes a serious drop in the blood sugar level and affects the brain, which needs a constant supply of sugar.

Symptoms: These may vary with the severity of the case. Early signs are easily overlooked and may include mild trances (staring into space for a few seconds) or the ferret sleeping more or harder to wake up. Staggering while walking; drooling; pawing at the mouth; and mild seizures usually come next. This may be followed by vocalizations (the ferret can make sounds varying from a noise like a hiccup to screeches and screams. These are generally involuntary and do not mean that the ferret is in any pain), severe seizures, coma and death. Diagnosis is usually based on a fasting blood sugar level.

Treatment: Depending on the severity of the case and the age of the animal, different treatments may be suggested by your vet. Some vets prefer to approach the disease aggressively by surgically removing most of the tumors. One problem with this is that there are no guarantees that more tumors won’t grow and you may face a repeat performance. Another problem is that sometimes the tumors are too small to even be seen (the average insulinoma tumor is smaller than a pin head) or there are too many of them to remove without damaging the pancreas. Another choice is medical therapy. The ferret would need to receive oral medication for the rest of its life. Some animals can survive over three years on medical therapy. Giving the ferret high protein treats and making sure that the ferret eats regularly throughout the day is beneficial. The disadvantage of medical therapy is that it does not necessarily stop the growth of the cancer and increased doses of medication may be needed as the disease progresses. Insulinomas have also been known to spread to other tissues and organs, such as the spleen, liver and even the lungs.

If you should notice your ferret having an insulinoma seizure, you can help stabilize him by first administering something sweet to him, such as baker's glucose (available in most supermarkets) honey, tinned peach syrup or Karo syrup. (NOTE: As a general rule- ferrets with insulinoma should NOT be given sugary treats. This has been found to create a yo-yo effect with the blood sugars elevating rapidly and then dropping quickly again.) As soon as your ferret is steadier, give him some duck soup, oxbow carnivore care or some of his regular food to balance out the sugar intake. Call your vet and get your ferret into his/ her office ASAP.

More information: 2nd chance article by Ron Hines DVM PhD, Ferret magazine article by Bruce H Williams DVM

IMPORTANT: Never put food or liquid into the mouth of an unconscious animal. If the animal is seizuring or is unconscious, rub some baker's glucose, honey or syrup on his inner lips and gums. (Use a cotton bud, if possible, to administer t to avoid the ferret biting you if it starts to seizure again.) When the ferret starts to come around, then you can proceed as described above.

Prevention: Vets do not currently know what causes insulinomas to appear. Diet and heredity are suspects and some vets believe that it may be caused by a virus. Until more is known about the cause of this disease, no preventative measures can be established.

LYMPHOSARCOMA / LYMPHOMA
This is a cancer of the lymphatic system, which is a part of the body’s immune system. It is usually found in older ferrets, but is being seen in younger ferrets now, too. Due to the younger ferret’s body being geared for growth, juvenile lymphosarcoma is often fatal because the disease spreads quickly in the freshly growing cells. In older ferrets it usually develops more slowly and may tend to go unnoticed until it presents itself as swollen glands, an enlarged spleen, rapid or steady weight loss, difficulty breathing, poor appetite or chronic diarrhea. A ferret with lymphosarcoma may have one or more of these symptoms, but these symptoms by themselves are not totally indicative of the disease. Other diseases, such as the flu, may present themselves in the same manner. A complete blood count (CBC) and a lymph node or bone marrow biopsy are usually recommended to confirm the diagnosis., An X-ray or EKG may be helpful in finding cancer in the chest. Research is being done to determine the cause of this cancer. Many vets and researchers suspect that it may be viral in origin, but if it is, it is not thought to be highly contagious as many ferrets have been raised together without the disease spreading. A hereditary susceptibility is also being investigated. More information >

Symptoms: Most ferret owners notice the swelling of the lymph glands along the ferret’s neck, under the arms or behind the back legs. These areas may become so swollen that the ferret looks like it has marbles under the skin.

Treatment: Currently there is no cure, but progress of the disease can be slowed through different treatments available from your vets, the success of the treatment will vary from ferret to ferret and is of course subject to how advanced the disease is in the ferret and how fast it is spreading.. Chemotherapy has been successful in treating many cases of lymphosarcoma Age, advancement of the disease, and other health problems factor into the criteria of whether a ferret would be a good candidate for chemotherapy (this is long term treatment with many visits to the vets (often weekly) and changes in the drugs as the disease progresses, so will involvemany blood tests, injections and will be expensive). Steroid treatment is another option, with 1 tablet a day. Homeopathic vitamin therapy is also being tried by some veterinarians. These treatments will only help extend the life of the ferret, it may work for weeks, months or in some cases years. If the disease is advanced and the animal is suffering, euthanasia is generally recommended.

Prevention: Currently none. If a hereditary susceptibility is found, then ferrets with this predisposition should be kept away from ferrets known to have the disease already. If a virus is isolated, then work can begin on making a vaccine to protect ferrets from catching this disease. More information >

SKIN TUMORS
Some ferrets seem to be more prone to skin tumors than others. The most common are sebaceous gland adenomas and mast cell tumors.

Symptoms: Sebaceous gland adenomas and mast cell tumors generally present themselves as raised lumps under or on the surface of the skin. Some may look like warts or raised scabs on the skin.

Treatment: While most skin tumors are benign, removal is recommended, especially if the tumors are irritated, bleeding, or rough in texture.

Prevention: None.
More information about Ferret Skin Tumors, Cysts, Lumps & Abscesses >

If you have any questions about this information, please contact your vet.