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The most cheerful, friendly and quite funny pet is the ferret. Quite often, a wayward animal is exposed to colds, as a result of which the ferret sneezes heavily, a cough appears. Since the upper respiratory tract is most often affected, the pet owner must know what measures to take and how to recognize the disease in the early stages. It is very difficult for cubs to endure diseases, since their body is not yet strong enough and the immune system is weakened.
Why do ferrets sneeze or cough
There are many reasons why a ferret starts sneezing and coughing. This may include:
- bronchitis;
- colds;
- coryza;
- cardiomyopathy;
- food allergic reaction;
- the presence of dust in the room;
- parasites.
In addition, it is worth taking into account the fact that the first signs of the disease in ferrets are in many ways similar to human symptoms of a cold:
- if the ferret starts sneezing, then this indicates the presence of an infection in the upper respiratory tract. As practice shows, the duration of an attack with the presence of sneezing can last up to 2-3 minutes, as a result of which the animal is very exhausted;
- in most cases the cough is dry and hard. Coughing, like sneezing, may be accompanied by severe seizures;
- in some cases, you can observe the presence of a runny nose, fever. In a healthy state, the temperature of a ferret can vary from +37,5 to +39°C. In addition, diarrhea may occur.
During an illness, the ferret’s activity decreases, the animal becomes lethargic, does not show initiative as before. The state becomes feverish, appetite disappears.
Bronchitis, cold, runny nose
If the ferret coughs and sneezes regularly, it may be caused by a cold. As a rule, this is a dry cough, which is replaced by a wet one, as a result of which mucus begins to stand out from the nose. In such situations, you should immediately contact a veterinary clinic or start self-treatment of a pet.
To prevent coughing and the development of the disease, it is recommended to use “Fosprenil” and “Maxidin”, it is necessary to administer drugs intramuscularly. Since the animals are small in size, it is worth taking insulin syringes, so that the pain caused will be small.
These drugs must be administered 3 times daily, using 0,2 ml of the drug. The course of treatment lasts a week. After the pet got on its feet, many veterinarians recommend administering 30 ml of Gamavit for 0,1 days. This drug helps to strengthen the immune system of the ferret.
If the disease is started, it can develop into bronchitis. As a rule, most often bronchitis appears in old ferrets and animals that have problems with internal organs, for example, a weakened heart or lungs. As practice shows, it will not be possible to cure bronchitis at home on your own, as a result of which it is recommended to immediately take your pet to a veterinary clinic.
With a runny nose, the animal begins to sneeze, as the lungs try to push out those bacteria that enter them from the nasal cavity. With a runny nose, the ferret begins to cough, as mucus enters the nasopharynx, as a result of which the animal tries to get rid of mucus with a strong cough. There can be several reasons for the disease: infection in the nasal sinus, the presence of inflammatory processes due to a draft.
As soon as it has been noticed that the ferret is breathing heavily, constantly sneezing and coughing, while mucus is released from the nose, it is necessary to rinse the nose after cleaning it. For such purposes, Nazivin or Naphthyzin is used – a 0,05% solution. About 0,1 ml of the drug will need to be poured into each nostril.
In addition, if necessary, you can prepare your own solution for washing the nose. To do this, you need to take the following drugs – Dioxidin, Albucid and Dexamethasone, and then mix in proportions of 10: 1: 1 ml. This solution is recommended to be administered daily 2 times, using 0,1 ml of the drug for each nostril.
Cardiomyopathy
Cardiomyopathy is also called heart cough. As a rule, coughing provokes a weakening of the heart muscle. Gradually, the walls of the muscles become thin, as a result of which the body of the ferret becomes weakened, the pressure decreases. Since blood circulation is rather slow, oxygen does not have time to be absorbed into the walls of the lungs, it begins to condense. It is the accumulation of condensate that causes a strong cough.
Symptoms of the disease include the following:
- decreased activity of the animal;
- severe cough on a regular basis;
- elevated body temperature.
It is important to understand that these symptoms are not enough to diagnose the disease at home, as a result of which it is recommended to take your pet to a veterinary clinic for examination.
Cardiomyopathy can be treated as follows:
- First of all, the ferret is given a diuretic, which will allow the body to get rid of excess moisture. In this case, it is best to use Furosemide.
- After 24 hours, it is recommended to enter “Captopril”, which will expand the vessels. Many experts recommend using the drug in tablets.
- After 2 days, it is necessary to transfer the pet to medicated feed.
- Throughout the entire period of treatment, the animal should be given warm water, to which granulated sugar is first added.
The treatment process is quite complicated and if there is a feeling that you can’t cope on your own, then it’s best to entrust the treatment of a ferret to professionals.
alimentary allergy
Another reason why a ferret often sneezes and coughs is allergies. As a rule, a food allergy appears in an animal unexpectedly. If the animal has lost its appetite, it does not eat food as actively as before, but at the same time before and after eating it feels great, runs and frolics, then this should be a signal in order to reconsider the pet’s diet.
Often the cause of a food allergic reaction is the fact that the owner gives his pet foods that are contraindicated for the ferret. That is why you need to carefully approach the choice of products: what can and cannot be given to a wayward pet.
Dust
The most common reason why a ferret coughs and sneezes constantly is the banal dust in the room. As practice shows, sneezing is a natural process. For example, at the moment when the animal washes or is actively playing, you can hear it quietly sneezing or coughing. You should not immediately sound the alarm, you must first take a closer look at how the animal behaves, whether its appetite has disappeared, whether it is as active as it often sneezes and coughs. It is important to understand that not every sneeze is a sign that a ferret has a cold. You should be wary at the moment when he sneezes or coughs more than 7 times in a row. In all other cases, there is no cause for concern.
vermin
Another reason a ferret sneezes and coughs is the presence of parasites such as hookworms. They parasitize in the respiratory system. The lungs, reacting to nematodes, try to get rid of them, as a result of which a strong cough begins in the animal.
As a rule, due to the appearance of worms, the animal also loses its appetite, apathy sets in, often this can lead to death.
The first signs of the appearance of parasites are a strong cough and shortness of breath even if the pet is in a calm state. In the later stages of the disease, body temperature may rise. For treatment, it is recommended to use anthelmintic preparations for cats.
Preventive measures
To prevent a number of diseases, it is recommended to provide the pet with appropriate living conditions. As a general rule, a ferret should live in a clean environment. The diet should include quality food, be complete and varied. If other animals that are susceptible to the disease live at home, then it is worth preventing contact of the ferret with them. During the period of malaise, it is not recommended to take the animal in your arms, it is worth creating a quiet and calm environment for it.
Conclusion
If the ferret sneezes or coughs heavily, these are the first signs that something is bothering the animal. As a rule, if sneezing is infrequent and is heard quite rarely, then this may be caused by the presence of dust in the room. If sneezing and coughing are heard more often 5-6 times a day, then it is worth monitoring the behavior of the ferret, identifying changes in behavior. Often, with colds, a ferret’s body temperature may rise, lacrimation may begin, it will become lethargic, and appetite will disappear. In such situations, it is recommended to immediately consult a veterinarian and start treating your pet.
