Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey, My wife and I have two ferrets. We were on a trip to Chicago and had them boarded at our vet. When we got home, our male, George, had a small orange spot on top of his head. Over the last week it has gotten bigger. I bathed him and it didnt go away. Today, we took him to the vet and she HAS NO IDEA WHAT IT IS!!! It seems as if it is on the skin.
Has ANYONE ever seen this or know what it may be? I called Marshall today and left a message, but who knows if that will be helpful.

Thanks for any help
Kirby

I had not heard of this being a big issue for ferrets so I did a little checking around. I couldn't find much but what I did find had to do with either skin and coat discoloration from food items or from mites. Are there any other problems with the ferret other than the orange spot? I had a DEW that developed liver disease and her high bilirubin caused her coat and skin to turn really yellow, but it was not the color of your photos and it was not in a definitive spot pattern, it pretty much started on her tail and gradually got more yellow over her entire body. When we got her bilirubin under control with meds she turned back white. Is your current vet very familiar with ferrets? If not, I'd try a vet that is more ferret knowledgeable. You can try surfing on www.ferretcentral.org for lots of ferret info. Good luck with your fuzzy.

I've never seen that before. Are you sure it's getting bigger? I know this is going to sound stupid but it looks like a stain. Like that old antibacterial liquid, my grandma used to put on cuts. Does it have any odor? I don't believe it would be a problem with the liver, it would not occur in a single spot and be so vibrant like that. I've seen a pet rat with a liver problem before, and it was yellow, but not like what your ferret has.

I would agree, I think it looks like a Iodine stain. It was used as a topical strelizer for years. It will dilute with water and seem to spread.
We used it in the armed forces, I remember the stain well.
I do need to ask if you are seeing any redness or swelling on the skin underneath the stain?