Came to feed ferrets and half of them dead!

[toolebox 1,612]

  On 20/12/2024 at 09:48, Arry said:

Sorry for your loss mate.

I would suspect Botulism where the Ferrets may have taken meat into the nest box or hidden somewhere. 

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Cheers Arry

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Strange you should mention this as I've lost a few from two separate litters a year or two back . I wasn't sure why they died until I clean out the cage and found part of a rotten rabbit hidden in their nest box hidden under the bedding straw. This pointed to the cause in both cases, the older ferrets have a system that can overcome a bad bug, unfortunately the young don't have the same protection until they are a little older. Sorry for your lose ,it's gutting

[dazbrowne 13 372]

Had something similar lost a full litter then older ones started acting all bent and wobbly a few died couldn't get my head round it so I stalked my cage only to see a rat squeezing in straight in food bowl 177 sorted him made a better cage plus moved it never had a problem or lost one since

[Daleside pest control 12]

Hi Guys

 

I ended up losing all of them in the end. Took the remaining three in last Friday and the vet gave me antibiotics and rehydration fluids. She said she had a bad feeling and she was correct as none of them made it to the following morning. I just couldn’t get the fluids down them without them throwing it back up. 
 

I think it could have been distemper or bird flu. I have a fox that frequents the garden and it’s always around the ferret run and hutches as theirs always food in their (pigeons, rabbit ect) so the fix could of passed distemper onto the ferrets. Also I have bird feeders next to the ferret run and pigeons roosting above so could have been bird flu. I nearly got a post mortem done but it wasn’t going to bring my ferrets back.

 

all I can do in future Is fox proof the garden, move bird feeders away and maybe treat my future ferrets first distemper. 
 

Im just in the process of doing this and disinfecting all the hutches and runs.

 

thanks for all the comments guys. 
I find some relief knowing it’s not just me it’s happened to. 

 

 

 

 

[Daleside pest control 12]

Don’t suppose anyone around the Yorkshire area has any decent ferrets for sale? I know it’s the wrong time of year to be asking but I had ferrets to spare before that I would have passed on so I’m hoping someone else out there is in a similar position. 

[dazbrowne 13 372]

  On 27/12/2024 at 11:58, Daleside pest control said:

Hi Guys

 

I ended up losing all of them in the end. Took the remaining three in last Friday and the vet gave me antibiotics and rehydration fluids. She said she had a bad feeling and she was correct as none of them made it to the following morning. I just couldn’t get the fluids down them without them throwing it back up. 
 

I think it could have been distemper or bird flu. I have a fox that frequents the garden and it’s always around the ferret run and hutches as theirs always food in their (pigeons, rabbit ect) so the fix could of passed distemper onto the ferrets. Also I have bird feeders next to the ferret run and pigeons roosting above so could have been bird flu. I nearly got a post mortem done but it wasn’t going to bring my ferrets back.

 

all I can do in future Is fox proof the garden, move bird feeders away and maybe treat my future ferrets first distemper. 
 

Im just in the process of doing this and disinfecting all the hutches and runs.

 

thanks for all the comments guys. 
I find some relief knowing it’s not just me it’s happened to. 

 

 

 

 

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Bird feeders my pet hate there is your problem always have rats round them was definitely rats with mine sorry to hear about losing the rest mate

[Luckee legs 504]

  On 27/12/2024 at 11:58, Daleside pest control said:

Hi Guys

 

I ended up losing all of them in the end. Took the remaining three in last Friday and the vet gave me antibiotics and rehydration fluids. She said she had a bad feeling and she was correct as none of them made it to the following morning. I just couldn’t get the fluids down them without them throwing it back up. 
 

I think it could have been distemper or bird flu. I have a fox that frequents the garden and it’s always around the ferret run and hutches as theirs always food in their (pigeons, rabbit ect) so the fix could of passed distemper onto the ferrets. Also I have bird feeders next to the ferret run and pigeons roosting above so could have been bird flu. I nearly got a post mortem done but it wasn’t going to bring my ferrets back.

 

all I can do in future Is fox proof the garden, move bird feeders away and maybe treat my future ferrets first distemper. 
 

Im just in the process of doing this and disinfecting all the hutches and runs.

 

thanks for all the comments guys. 
I find some relief knowing it’s not just me it’s happened to. 

 

 

 

 

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Sorry to hear this. You clearly gave them the best opportunity. It never fails to amaze me how ferrets are so incredibly tough, recover quickly from bites and abscesses, rarely get ill but on some occasions fade out almost overnight. Best wishes in tracking down a new team 

Only suggestion I have is a long way for you but I know Essex ferret welfare in Ongar have quite a few at the moment and some are from working lines. You can find them on FB and website 

[Daleside pest control 12]

Dazbrowne 13 never had a rat in my garden since moving in 3 years ago. If I did have a rat come into my garden I wouldn’t mind so much as I’d soon deal with it. Also as a pest controller if people didn’t feed the birds I wouldn’t get as much custom as I do! So I don’t mind  bird feeders!

[Mr Wilkes 3,100]

I lost all my ferrets last year so got some kits in mid summer and lost 2 of the 3 recently.. fat as butter but curled up dead in nest. I was speaking with a lad and he asked if I fed them fresh squirrel  I said yes.. that's there main food. He said he'd read somewhere that squirrel can pass something on to ferrets. It makes sense when I think about it.

[Arry 23,260]

  On 29/12/2024 at 11:23, Mr Wilkes said:

I lost all my ferrets last year so got some kits in mid summer and lost 2 of the 3 recently.. fat as butter but curled up dead in nest. I was speaking with a lad and he asked if I fed them fresh squirrel  I said yes.. that's there main food. He said he'd read somewhere that squirrel can pass something on to ferrets. It makes sense when I think about it.

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Grey Squirrels carry Squirrel pox and thats what kills the reds in they come in contact. I used to work at somewhere that had a big outdoor cage of chipmunks they reckon the grey Squirrels visited after waste food they all died.

I've no idea if the pox can be transmitted to ferrets mind. I catch quite a few squirrels and they go in the compost lol.

Cheers Arry

[Aycliffe-Ferreter 10]

You shouldn’t really be wanting more ferrets when they all died of an unknown cause, the next might die too?

maybe get new cages and make sure everything’s clean first.

[BULL 100]

Lost nearly all my kits and an adult last year 

Within 5 days salmonella from frozen raw food I bought in over the summer as ran out of rabbits and pidgeons 

didn’t realise ferrets are very  susceptible to it

I was gutted . Hopefully get back what I lost this year .

 

[mitre 105]

Speaking of raw meat wouldn't trust it I wouldn't feed my dog it too risky full of bacteria plus  you don't know how it's storing conditions where you brought it from and what can be in it that's a other thing not for sorry

[Franks dad 1,136]

  On 21/04/2025 at 19:45, mitre said:

Speaking of raw meat wouldn't trust it I wouldn't feed my dog it too risky full of bacteria plus  you don't know how it's storing conditions where you brought it from and what can be in it that's a other thing not for sorry

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Been feeding raw to all my dogs for the last 16 years … never had a problem. From chihuahua to Rottweilers and everything in between.. I wouldn’t be chucking that mass manufactured “kibble” shit down their necks or tins of bounce … . 

[mitre 105]

I used to feed one of our dogs on fresh cooked chicken legs taken off the bone boil up pasta and chicken and veg cuppa soup every day she really liked that till she died last year in the morning with this one pasta tuna and meat like a spaghetti Bolognese he eats it then wants a slice of toast with real butter on so can't say much more 

[Franks dad 1,136]

  On 22/04/2025 at 17:59, mitre said:

I used to feed one of our dogs on fresh cooked chicken legs taken off the bone boil up pasta and chicken and veg cuppa soup every day she really liked that till she died last year in the morning with this one pasta tuna and meat like a spaghetti Bolognese he eats it then wants a slice of toast with real butter on so can't say much more 

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If i didn’t think you were taking the piss , id say only a inbred Cnut would feed their dog that .