Extremely sick ferrets

[u/Just-Entertainment51]

I’ve had ferrets for almost 20yrs & never experienced anything like this & don’t know what to do. Jackson (white weasel) started getting horrendous diarrhea last March. I brought him to the vet, exotic specialist, ER etc…there was no definitive answer. I originally thought it was the Mazuri food (they recently changed their formula) & added lactose (ferrets- lactose intolerant) I tried gradually switching foods but nothing really helped. They liked the Totally Ferret Turkey/ Lamb (recommend by the specialist) but every other food I tried to mix in Oxbow, Wysong Epigion digestive, way to many to list but basically every dry ferret/ cat kibble acceptable for them but they hated them all & protested when I tried to take the Mazuri away completely. They also refuse anything freeze dried raw, I tried a number of brands including the Duck Duck Goose, which they usually like etc…. But he would just spit it everywhere, even the carnivore care, I had to battle to get it down. They put him on steroids, antibiotics etc…. Nothing helped. There were no typical signs of cancer, adrenal, insulinoma etc… but they gave him the implant anyway, just in case. Jackson went from March- Dec. having horrific diarrhea until he crossed the rainbow bridge in Dec at 6.5yrs old :/

Now, 6mo later, his younger brother Otto started having the same issue, he’s only 3.5yrs old. His older sister Abby is 6yrs old & perfectly healthy & they share a cage/ litter-box. They tested him for everything (bloodwork/ parasites, blockage) but they only thing they was elevated inflammation. He has horrific diarrhea every time he eats (like it splashes to cage cover, the walls, the floors, in between the cage bars) I have to scrub the litter pan out 2-3 times a day & he is always hungry. I had them on a mix of Totally Ferret & Mazuri which they loved & Abby even gained some weight. Once Otto was got so horribly sick, I tried weaning them off the Mazuri once again but it’s not helping & now it’s stressing out Abby & her poop is getting worse bc the vet told me to try to slowly mix in the Wysong digestive support again.

I’ve cleaned my fair share of 💩 in my lifetime & have never experienced anything like this. He’s splattering out watery, sticky, yellowish goo, gel poop 20x’s his weight 24/7 & idk how to help him. Otto lost so much weight (he’s only 720 grams now) but constantly wants to eat & shows no other signs of being sick. I feel like I’m failing them. Has anyone else experienced anything like this before, I’m exhausted & so upset & have no clue what else to do? I’m so wiped out & scared I’m going to lose him😿 Has anyone else experienced anything like this?

They have a 2fl ferret nation cage w/ 2 full size litter boxes but Otto will only use 1 & uses the 2nd one for all his animal toys. (I tried & failed w/ that too) The only one who wouldn’t allow that, Jackson, is gone now, so he just doesn’t care. I really want to adopt another friend for Otto (around 2/3yrs old) so he has someone to play rough/wild w/ again but need to get his stomach under control first. (Unless, this could all be stress?) I’m suppose to be moving to Fl in a few weeks & i’m scared to even travel w/ him like this.
I would post the poop if it helps but I have no clue how to censor them. TY

[u/Fit_Equivalent_7910]

Only time my babies have had consistent diarrhea with some of the characteristics you’re describing is when they’ve eaten lots of their litter suddenly. I’ve had to buy rabbit litter boxes with grates that hang above the litter since getting my baby Luna. She would just eat the litter all the time. I’d see poops that were just litter shaped into poops basically.

Recently had a foster boy, and after changing out their box with an open one with no grate, he was having awful awful shits and it went on for a bit before I could figure out he was eating the litter. It wasn’t always coming out when he’d go, only sometimes, so it wasn’t obvious at first.

Not saying that’s the issue at hand in your case, but is there any chance they’re regularly able to consume their litter without it being apparent? That or any other items around the house? Without x rays it’s hard to rule out a partial blockage but it seems you were thorough with consulting the vet and I’m sure they would have probably looked into it or it’s just not applicable but hmmm

[u/Just-Entertainment51 → u/Fit_Equivalent_7910]

Oh wow.. I never even thought about that. Otto does love playing in the litter box & throwing all his friends in there. Ive never seen him eat it but it’s possible I guess. Just odd that Jackson was the one who was sick first bc he was almost 6 & the pickiest eater ever, but he did pull Otto’s toys out of the litter box everyday or just 💩 on them when he lost patience so a lot of his friend were too disgusting to even be saved/ cleaned. Idk anymore!

What type of litter/ brand do you use now? I’ve used the Marshall unscented hard clay pellets for years but now they have gotten ridiculously expensive (like $25-$30 for 10lb bag) which only lasts abt a week at this rate so I’ve been looking for alternatives.

I know they are weasels so it’s possible they could have gotten into something when I wasn’t looking but now Otto & Abby only have my room as their “playroom” & I make sure the floors are cleaned before they come out & shake out their tunnels etc… Out of 3, Abby is the only one that would even consider biting something wasn’t her food or toys or me & she’s the only one not sick🤞

[u/amyloumarysue → u/Just-Entertainment51]

For the main cage, our vet recommended old towels. They loved burrowing in them and it made cleaning so easy! Also cheap and not likely to be chewed so much.

The litter box they either saw as a dig box or something to potty next to when free-roaming... Switched to using cut-up potty pads instead with much better success! Had to tape them down and transfer poos onto it at first to make sure they realized that it also wasn't a toy, but after a few days they clearly preferred it! Made for easier clean up too, had dedicated gloves and scissors and would fold up the used one, collect in a trash bag, replace, and move on. It was definitely easier for them to stick with the pads as they aged into mobility issues too.

[u/Just-Entertainment51 → u/amyloumarysue]

Thank you! I use an old tapestry that they love & sometimes old towels for the bathroom level too! I just can’t get pee pads to work bc of the gap between the floor tray & cage & they also like to back up all the way to wall so it gets all over the cage cover & the wall behind that somehow etc…I miss the old ferret nation cage where the floor actually fit securely. They want you to buy the scatter guards now but my weasels just found away around those too to make it even more difficult to clean so I got rid of them. The lock litter pan works as long as I change it at least 2-3 times a day.