Although ferret’s poop is considered to be waste ( which it is ), it could give you a lot of useful information about your pet’s health.
Ferret poop could indicate some conditions which require diet change or even medical attention. This is the reason why you should always check out the poop before you get rid of it. Pay attention to the color, texture and form.
I have done research on ferrets poop and some other questions related to this topic. I hope this article will help you and use as a guide you on how to ‘use’ poop as a source of information that can help your pet remains safe and healthy.
Table of Contents
How often should ferret poop?
In general ferrets poop 3-4 times each day. Do not take this literally, as bowel movement depends on the amount of food the ferret takes. As your furry ball is free feeder ( which means that your pet has food 24/7 at his/her disposal to eat whenever he/she wants) you have to know how much food did he/she eat and to expect the number of poops accordingly.
It is quite normal for healthy ferret to poop 1-2 times per day but also if he/she was eating more then 5-6 times is also ok. The best thing is to track eat/poop proportion so you do not end up confused with different poop numbers.
Ferrets Poop Habits
Ferrets do have their own poop habits. For example they will never poop at the same place where they eat or sleep. They prefer corners ( if possible ) as a toilet and they always return to poop at the same places. Many ferret owners will tell if you that after some time with a ferret, they learned to recognize the facial expression that says ‘I am about to poop’.
If you have adopted /bought untrained ferret so you need to train him/her to use a litter box, do not worry, you will need some time and patience but in the end you will be happy to see how your ferret learned a very important lesson.
Training ferret to use a litter box is crucial if you want to maintain hygiene, clean and smell-free home. More about how to train a ferret to use litter box read in our article ‘Litter box training for ferrets- complete guide’.
What does normal ferret’s poop look like?
Normal ferret’s poop is light to dark brown, long, tube-shaped, and rather firm. Of course the poop’s appearance depends on the food the ferret eats and the health condition of the ferret.
Different Colors and Textures of Ferret’s Poop (Disease Indicators)
For example I have read that if you give your ferret Whiskas food for cats, you may run into a red color in your pet’s poop. This usually comes from artificial colors used in this food. Maybe you should consider other diets for your furry ball.
If you are more into raw meat diet for your ferret, do not be surprised if you find out that its poop is very dark, even black in certain parts, due to the blood in the meat that he/she ate
Green Stool
It can be caused by different health issues and one of the most non-specific signs that something is wrong. One of the is ECE ( Epizootic Catarrhal Enteritis), a viral infection that affects ferret’s intestines. In the case of ECE the poop can be greenish and watery diarrhea.I have also read that if the reason for green stool is ECE, the smell of the poop will be more like fish glue.
Another cause for green poop may be Lymphoma, especially if it is located in the gastrointestinal tract. It could also indicate some gastric problem or simply the green poop would show that the food passed to quick through the body.
The thing is that old red blood cells breakdown during the digestion process and brown color of the poop is the end product of that process. Hemoglobin a molecule that helps carry oxygen around Is a part of red blood cells.
Worn out red blood cells or better to say Hemoglobin breaks down to biliverdin ( green stage ) and then further in the process to stercobilin ( brown stage) If the food passed to quickly through the gastrointestinal tract,it never comes to the brown stage and remains green.
Yellow or gold diarrhea could also be indication for ECE virus .
Grainy Poop
Usually indicates digestion problems. Most probably your furry ball eats to much dry food, maybe you should consider feeding her/him with some more soft, bland food which will be easier to digest. Those ‘grains ‘ that your pet ejected are undigested fat and probably starch.
It can also indicate some problems with the small intestine or be a symptom of ECE virus.
Black Poop
It is a great alert that some internal bleeding is going on and most probably in your pet’s stomach. Black color is a result a blood digestion and that can happen in the case of gastric ulcers.
Of course black poop can be also a result of usage of some drugs that turn out to be toxic in ferrets such as Ibuprofen, Naproxen and Aspirin. Black stool can be caused by the presence of Helicobacter mustelae.
Bloody Poop
Unlike black poop, in bloody poop you can really see the fresh blood or in most severe cases ( moribund ferrets ) the entire stool is made of blood. This sign is really serious and if you notice something like that you should rush to the vet immediately. It usually indicated massive bleeding from gastrointestinal tract but in any case, can not be good, so do not waste a minute.
Sticky Poop with Bubbles
Dark and sticky stool with bubbles can show you that your furry ball has a disease called Eosinophilic enteritis. Bubbles in the stool come from gasses in the stomach and some other signs of this disease is lack of energy, lack of appetite, stomach pain…
Deep Grey Poop
This is not seen so often in ferrets. Grey color of the stool may indicate that your furry pal is anemic. If we know that the brown color of normal poop comes from worn-out blood cells, grey color will tell you that your pet does not have enough red blood cells. You should consult your vet.
Very Thin,Pencil like Poop
It is a sign of the presence of a foreign body so contact your vet as soon as possible. It is almost 100% that reason for this is some kind of blockage or hairballs.
Diminished Poop
Do not confuse it with pencil-like poop. If the shape and color are ok ( tube-shaped brown poop) but the quantity is an issue, then you should observe your ferret and the amount of food he/she eats. Most probably your furry ball eats smaller portions so diminish poop is a result of that.
No Poop at All
If your ferret eats and has no poop, this is to something to worry about. If case this sign is joined with some other such as : grinding teeth, abdominal pain, swelling stomach then you should take your pet to the vet right away as most likely it is some kind of gastrointestinal blockage.
