Cancer

[dirtwinger 235]

Had to put down one of the hobs I tryed on Prairie dogs, yesterday evening. He lost condition very fast and went off his legs, so I took him in to the vets. He found a lymphoma in his abdomen so I had him put down. Second ferret I have lost to cancer this year, although the other was a 8yr old jill so she had a good run. This guy was only 5yrs old, not old but not young either.

I will get another this year and raise it on meat and enter it on game from an early age and see if it will hunt well.

 

all the best Dirtwinger

[Kay 3,709]

Sorry to hear of your loss .

[The one 8,621]

Was he a complete or snipped hob mate ??

[dirtwinger 235]

Was he a complete or snipped hob mate ??

He was snipped, it's very hard to get a uneutered hob in the US. My only access to ferrets here is through the petstores.

 

all the best Dirtwinger

[stealthy1 3,964]

Thats harsh, did you have the hob from a kit?

[dirtwinger 235]

Thats harsh, did you have the hob from a kit?

Yeah got him at a couple of months old, its always sad when you lose one and he was a real softy. I had been out of the ferret game since I moved to the US and didnt expect to restart. My girlfriend of 7 yrs had pet ferrets when we met and I have gradually steered her to the idea of working them. She's a biologist but a city girl in her origins, she has taken the ferrets death hard. Growing up with animals I understand that if you have livestock your'e gonna get dead stock too.

I will get another in a few months that will be raised specifically as a worker. I'm holding off for a while as I have lurcher pups due in 5 days. Hopefully I will be able to post on hunting ferrets in the US this Autumn.

 

All the best Dirtwinger

[The one 8,621]

Maybe totally unrelated but theres a few snipped hobs that cancers caused there death seems to be common in snipped hobs as they get older

[The one 8,621]

One of mine and the ones Ive heard about there testes seem to swell up later in life and the vets blame cancerous tumours

[dirtwinger 235]

Ferrets seem particularly cancer prone, the most common form is Adrenal gland disease. Even in neutered ferrets they produce excessive hormones and this seems to be part of the problem. In neutered ferrets Adrenal gland disease will cause them to behave in a hypersexual way, hair loss and poor coat is also associated with this condition if untreated it becomes a malignant tumour that eventually kills them. We did the surgery on our old jill(adrenal gland removal) and it gave her a whole new leash on life. It is expensive but I am fortunate that one of my best friends is the top ferret vet in New Mexico, he gives me vet care at cost or free. This is handy with 3 working lurchers, 2 falcons and ferrets.

It's a sad reality that ferrets have short lives and it is sad when you lose one to illness or old age.

 

all the best Dirtwinger

 

PS there are variety of products out there that give ferrets cancer, the most common is lysol. It gives ferrets pancreatic cancer very quickly and is one of the biggest killers of pet ferrets in the US.

[Coneytrappr 30]

Dirt, have you considered buying from a private breeder as opposed to getting more petstore stock?

Whilst they will still have been bred for pets, they will be intact, fed a better diet and will generally be more robust and healthier.

The vast majority of ferrets in US petshops are bred in massive mills with little thought given to health- colour is their biggest concern. They pull them from the jills early, desex them and get them to the pet stores at seven or eight weeks of age, it can't do them any good.