My Ferret Is Bleeding Out of Her Mouth

Ferrets are prone to certain congenital and acquired health problems that could result in blood from the mouth. In addition, several environmental factors or habits may also produce this response. Bleeding from the mouth is a severe symptom, and should indicate that your animal requires immediate emergency veterinary care.

  1. Cancers

    • Ferrets over age 3 are prone to cancers, and some can cause bleeding from the mouth or nose concurrent with vomiting, as well as other symptoms -- such as sudden mood changes, extreme lethargy, anemia and loss of appetite. Of all the cancers, lymphoma, insulinoma and adrenal cancer are the most common in ferrets, and can be detected and treated early via regular veterinary examination.

    Internal Bleeding

    • Internal bleeding can cause a ferret to bleed through the mouth, and any suspected internal bleeding should be treated as an emergency. Internal bleeding can be caused by direct trauma, cancer, infection and ulcers. Estimating the severity of bleeding can be difficult, but in general, if the mucus membranes of your ferret are pale, your animal may have already lost a significant amount of blood.

    Gastrointestinal Distress

    • Your ferret may be experiencing some form of gastrointestinal distress if she is bleeding from the mouth. She may have eaten something poisonous, or which has caused her digestive tract to bleed: for this reason, ferrets are discouraged from being allowed to play with or access small, easily-eaten objects, especially if they have sharp edges. Other signs of such distress include bloat (stomach distension), changes in stools and choking.

    Ferret First Aid

    • Trying to staunch blood flow from the mouth may simply wind up choking your ferret; instead, make sure that your ferret's head has full mobility to point downwards, so that the blood can be expelled. To transport your ferret to the vet, take into considerations all the possible ailments that it may have and act accordingly; try not to jostle or stress the animal, and gently wrap a thick fabric (such as a towel) along the length of the ferret in a full-body wrap. Ensure the head is exposed and has a complete range of motion.