There are many useful tricks on how to make your ferret cool. Sometimes those tricks can’t help and if it comes to heatstroke, you need to know what to do. I hope it won’t come to that, but better safe than sorry. Even more important thing, how to recognize a heat stroke?
A heatstroke is something you mustn’t play with, it can kill your furball. Ferrets can’t sweat, not like us or through the mouth and paws like dogs. That means they will be hot in no time. Imagine you have to wear a furry coat during summer. It isn’t very comfortable, is it? But, that is where we jump in the picture with lots of cold water and frozen bottles to make them feel better.
Now, the bad side of this post. The infamous heatstroke. Out furballs are energetic little animals, they jump and run around almost every minute they are awake. When they are sleeping, they are little angels.
How To Recognize A Heatstroke?
If your ferret looks tired or acts different from any other day (and outside is extremely hot) be careful around him. If after a while he starts to drool or even pant and gasp, that isn’t good at all. Your ferret is probably having a mild heatstroke, which can develop into something much more serious where he could have seizures or even collapse. If that happens, the very first thing you must do is to stay calm. Do not panic, it won’t help your ferret.
Think of the best, fastest, and most gentle way to cool your ferret. You can do that by placing his belly on the cold floor. A concrete floor would be perfect, but ceramic is also good, you have some in the bathroom, which is probably cooler than other rooms. You can also use some fabric, your old shirt, towel, anything, and soak it in cool water. Not too cold, because it can be a shock, imagine that difference in temperature of his body and cold water. Now, use that shirt and place it on your ferret’s back, neck, tail, all over the body. Do that for a few minutes, to lower his temperature.
If that doesn’t help, there is another way, which is much quicker and that is to put your ferret in cool water. Again not too cold, you could traumatize your furball. As you can see, every trick has to do something with the water, don’t put your ferret under an air conditioner or fan because it won’t cool him fast enough, or he could catch a cold.
The main thing you must do is react quickly and stay calm. When your ferret recovers, go to the vet to see if he is ok now. The best way to transport your ferret to the vet is in a cold car, if you don’t have a car, ask one of your friends or family they will gladly help.
