• Current Poll

  • Categories

  • Registration Features

Hairballs

Hairballs can occur in ferrets, but are not readily expelled by vomiting like the way cats deal with them. One or more hairballs in a ferret may lead to loss of appetite and subsequent weight loss. A hairball may enter the intestine and cause a life-threatening obstruction. Ferrets typically replace their coats twice a year, and at that time require brushing to remove loose hairs before they can be ingested, and possibly administration of a hairball remedy as a preventive. Artificial lighting or administration of certain medications may alter the normal spring and fall seasonal coat changes in the ferret.