"Bleeding Penis"

[Johnny and Demon]

Hi, when arrived home yesterday, my boyfriend told me that he noticed Demon's penis was, not really bleeding, but red. He said he doesn't think Demon got caught on something or whatever and he is playing as usual, drinking and eating as usual .. he seems healthy. So I've checked the area and his penis is simply red. Its not really "bleeding", its a bit red and its not swollen.

What do you think it could be ? Just caught on something ?

[TayLa]

Mabye just caught on something. But, I would get it checked to rule out infection. Hope its working!! Is he peeing o.k.?

[Tressie]

Ferrets will lick their penises if there is an infection or pain and then the penis gets red.

While it is also possible that he could have caught it on something and therefore, it is a minor injury - this is very rare.

So candidates are early adrenal disease or uroliths (crystals/stones), more uncommon is a cutaneous neoplasm.

If it is early adrenal disease then a Lupron Depot injection (min. 200mcg) or a Deslorelin implant should help.

If it is formation of uroliths, you need to know which kinds in order to change his diet accordingly. A Ph level will also need to be done from the urinalysis.

If not treated it will continue to get worse and then he is at risk of developing a blockage.

I would get him to your vet for exam and to have a urinalysis done in order to rule out crystals and/or infection, and to get a reading of what his Ph level is.

The vet can palpate his prostate to see whether it might be adrenal disease related. Use a urine stick to get his Ph level and to check whether there is any blood in the sample. And examine the sample under a microscope and determine whether there is bacteria or crystals in it. .

If there isn't anything obvious then a more comprehensive cytology analysis will probably have to send it out to a lab.

Either way, I would not wait to get it looked at. The longer you wait the higher the risk of a blockage occuring and then it becomes a life threatening condition.

Tressie

[Johnny and Demon]

Oh sorry for this so late update. The day after I wrote this, I looked back at it and it was crusty, tiny and not really on his penis but really close to. The day after, it was gone! I can't feel any lump or whatsover. I was really confused with it. There's nothing at all... So I really thought he got caught OR, Johnny bite him too hard (When Demon bites his ears and won't let go, Johnny bites his penis ... they have been doing that since they're kits). That being said, its kinda impossible as we didn't hear any cry or whatsoever.

[Tressie]

It could have been a small injury then. But I would periodically check and if its getting red again or the crusty area reappears, take him to the vet.

Hopefully it was simply rough play and it is now completely healed!

Tressie

[rubyredroses]

i have a ferret that sucks on ears alot pins the other ferrets down holds them and sucks/chews on their ears( when we first got him he did this with fabric) but recently he has been doing it to his own penis and the other boys, this mosly happens if he is sleepy it seems to be how he falls alseep but also when he is stressed i wonder if is the same thing my boyfriend thinks it's cause he was taken away from his mother too early apparenly kittens do this too he is healthy and happy other wize and we are slowly breaking him of this habit with time outs scruffing and bitter apple( on ears no private areas)

[Johnny and Demon]

Hi rubyredroses and welcome to the FLSAC message board/forum

We think that our beloved Demon got caught somewhere as it happened to Johnny aswell. We believe it was one of their tunnel tube and we got rid of it. I think the problem is now solved until the little trouble makers find something else.

Now, How old is your ferret ? Is he a kit ?
Early weaning can cause ear sucking or chewing. That behavior usually outgrow.
A second reason of ear sucking/chewing is grooming. Simply, grooming. Most ferrets groom each others, even if you don't always see them in the act. But in your case, it seems like you are talking about early weaning.

Another reason would be sex hormones. We're talking about adrenal disease here.

According to your short story, I supposed he's a kit ? Then ear sucking/chewing is normal and he will outgrow this behavior shortly. He just needs love

[rubyredroses]

no he's actually is probably 3 or 4 maybe older(all ours are rescues) he's done it since we got him and before according to his previous owners i have wondered about adrenal but he showes no other symtoms and has been giving a clean bill of heath from the vet(tho we r thinging about changing vets) he'll do it for hours if left leaving wet tender "hicky like marks" he only seems to do it when he neds soothing like stressed and mostly when he is trying to sleep i often wonder if maybe they missed a piece when he was fixed and we are very unsure of what his life was like before us he came having been raised on no name dog food not litter trained not liking to dig and knowing how to heel and walk like a dog he is alittle odd

[Johnny and Demon]

Who is your vet ? The FLSAC has a list of ferret friendly and ferret knowledgeable vets : www.flsatlanticcanada.org/ferretfriendlyveterinaryclinics

A ferret can have adrenal disease without hair loss ! Other symptoms of adrenal disease are : excessive grooming, licking penis (because of enlarged prostate, so it hurts your ferret), trouble urinating (again, because of the prostate) and aggressiveness (increased levels of testosterone). A ferret can show all of these symtpoms OR only one or 2 of these symtoms .. Because your ferret is already old enough to experience these kind of diseases, and because you said he is licking his penis it sounds like he might has adrenal disease.

Also .. Do you know for how long his previous owners have this little guy ? Dog foods don't have any taurine and this might eventually cause heart diseases (such as Cardiomyopathy) .. Better have him check for that aswell ..

You might wanna check the FLSAC Symptom Chart www.flsatlanticcanada.org/health2
It's important to check all odd behaviors and make sure its just a part of his personality and not a beginning of disease

[rubyredroses]

oh sorry it's not his own penis is the other boys they say they had him since he was a baby but i did get alot of false info from them he pees and poops well and isn't aggressive but we will definatly have him checked again

[Tressie]

Welcome ;D

Annik covered all the bases. I have never heard of a ferret that licks another ferret's penis Whereas, ear licking is fairly common.

Dog food as Annik pointed out is really nutritionally deficient in many ways for ferrets, especially its lack of taurine. He would also be at risk for uroliths (stones) if he was on that food for any length of time.

I have had a number of ferrets come in as rehomes/surrenders/rescues who had received clean bills of health from veterinarians, who were ferret friendly but not ferret knowledgeable. In fact, without exception - all had some sort of illnesses, some very serious, that an experienced eye would have picked up.

You need to find yourself a ferret knowledgeable veterinarian as at least a back-up for consult and second opinion.

Someone on this list recently lost a ferret to insulinoma, a very treatable condition, because the attending vet did not recognize the classic clinical symptoms of insulinoma - and the ferret had a seizure and died before the owner could get her beloved fuzzbutt to a knowledgeable vet.

Completely avoidable tragedy if she had an experienced ferret vet!

Tressie