# Ferret belly....



## Rhianna.J (Nov 5, 2011)

Hiya, 

I mentioned on another thread that one of my ferrets Bailey was sick the other day. She has been fine since, very active, running around, playing, eating everything in sight etc. 

She had a bath today and i thought t would be a good opportunity for you to check her belly for me? Does she look fat or bloated? 

She is quite a large girl, and she cannot be pregnant as she hasnt had her first season yet and the boy she is with isint old enough yet, but she is a little "chunky". I scared my self a few days ago finding a picture of a ferret with a very large swollen belly (think it had a leak in its heart and its body was filling up with fluid??). 

Does Bailey look OK in your opinion?










and a picture of the girl herself!


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## bbav (Oct 17, 2007)

Looks fine to me,maybe a little tubby but so are 2 of mine.
I think due to the strange weather and late start to summer they haven't lost there winter weight properly yet.


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## miss_ferret (Feb 4, 2010)

is she toileting ok? poo normal and all that?

how does her stomach feel?

to me she does just look a bit tubby, i cant see anything id worry about.


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## Rhianna.J (Nov 5, 2011)

bbav said:


> Looks fine to me,maybe a little tubby but so are 2 of mine.
> I think due to the strange weather and late start to summer they haven't lost there winter weight properly yet.


Thankyou. You should see her when she is dry! Her fur makes her look like a Himalayan cat! lol size and weight! lol 

She hasnt had her first winter yet. She is a this years kit believe it or not! lol 



miss_ferret said:


> is she toileting ok? poo normal and all that?
> 
> how does her stomach feel?
> 
> to me she does just look a bit tubby, i cant see anything id worry about.


Yep, pooping like a trouper. Infact, the minute i changed their bedding today she decided to dot a big one. Looks like a Bristol stool chart type 4. (best description i could come up with im afraid! lol My mums a nurse!). She isnt lethargic or anything (she sleeps alot anyways, like most ferrets) but as soon as she comes out she is running around the whole house, playing with the cushions etc. Im just a little wary as she was sick the other day. Im not sure if it was a hairball, and instead of bring the hairball up she managed to make herself sick instead, or if she had picked something up in the garden, but she seems fine now, infact, back to her old self!

Her stomach feels kindof firm, but not rock hard or squishy. Ive just felt my males stomach and his feels exactly the same, hers is just twice the size! lol no lumps or anything like that.


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## ruthyg (Oct 15, 2010)

Rhianna.J said:


> image
> 
> and a picture of the girl herself!
> image


What a cutie!!!! :flrt:


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## x Sarah x (Nov 16, 2007)

Could always speak to a vet just to be sure, might be nothing but helps take the worry off you just to have that confirmed


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## Kat91 (Sep 19, 2008)

That last photo! :flrt:


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## Rhianna.J (Nov 5, 2011)

Kat91 said:


> That last photo! :flrt:


LOL! Thats nothing! 




























About ten minutes after this last photo, she started grooming herself properly and her fur went lovely and sleek again. I hate her "Just bathed" fur!


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## KanAsBoas (Aug 22, 2012)

Rhianna.J said:


> LOL! Thats nothing!
> 
> image
> 
> ...


the second pic is just to cute :flrt:


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## Kat91 (Sep 19, 2008)

Rhianna.J said:


> LOL! Thats nothing!
> 
> image
> 
> ...


I think I've just died!!! :flrt::flrt::flrt:


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## LoveForLizards (Apr 20, 2008)

Looks perfectly fine to me, but if there's 'other' symptoms (abnormal toileting habits, the stomach becomes hard, etc) get her checked out by a vet. May be worth it just for peace of mind. : victory:

Being overweight isn't really a concern in ferrets, besides those who are on restricted feeding for whatever reason. Ferrets don't gorge, instead choosing to eat to calorific and go back to food and eat as and when they need it, hence caching behaviour. They have a very fast digestive system and they use up a lot of calories, so unless they're on a high fat food, you shouldn't need to worry. Yours looks a perfectly healthy weight to me. : victory:


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