Rearing baby ferrets. Mother died!! Help

dodderangler

On monday my Jill fell ill and so I took her to vets were she stayed overnight and unfortunately past away yesterday morning. Basically she was very small to have so many kits (8 kits)
It wasn't my plan to breed her but it happened. Anyway I am now looking after 8 kits at 5 weeks old. I am using kitten formula that vet gave me and feeds are every two hours. 4 of which are now showing signs of being wry week. They are taking the milk in small amounts as vet told me. Also kitten food mashed up.
I am terrified that they are gonna die. These 4 are sleeping a lot and not screaming or crying as much as the other 4. I actually thought 2 were dead but they are still breathing.
Could they be experiencing dfs (dead ferret sleep) at such a young age.
I do need my sleep but I am up feeding them in 2 more hours and every 2 hours.
Any info please. I will go to vet if it looks bleaker in morning.

Knine

Ferrets are normally weaned at about 6 to 8 weeks. So probably don't need feeding every 2 hours. The 4 that are weak, keep them very warm. Check the inside of their mouths to see if they are cold. Never feed a cold baby but warm them up first. Be very care feeding that they do not inhale any milk.
There is a possibility that whatever killed the mother is affecting them?

You can start encouraging them to eat minced up food in the next week or so. If the 4 weak ones do not show any signs of improvement I would take them to a vet.

dodderangler

This is fcuking killing me. 4 died and 3 are looking like try are heading that way. 1 is moving around a lot . I tried ringing the vets and no answer and I Havint got the car at the moment.

FoxyVixen

Couldn't you ring another vet? Isn't there a 24hr veterinary hotline in Dublin.

dodderangler

FoxyVixen wrote: »

Couldn't you ring another vet? Isn't there a 24hr veterinary hotline in Dublin.

Only one does ferrets
I rang around and they all suggested the same vet I was with other day.

FoxyVixen

Do't know what to tell you so. Sounds like they picked up an infection or virus off the mother.

Did the vet give you an reason for the mother dying?

dodderangler

FoxyVixen wrote: »

Do't know what to tell you so. Sounds like they picked up an infection or virus off the mother.

Did the vet give you an reason for the mother dying?

She said she was one of the smallest ferrets she's seen and shouldn't of been bred ( I didn't plan on it) but also says she was basically drank dry from 8 kits.
I personally think she caught something and the kits haveit now

FoxyVixen

Poor thing, sounds like she couldn't maintain herself if she was drank dry.

It's possible the kits didn't get enough antibodies from the mother's milk if she was so small. Could explain why they're struggling now.

Best advice I can give is to get in touch with the vet asap.

dodderangler

All 8 kits have died today. Absolutely shocked. I have no words to say and now I'm wondering if the mother had some sort of bacteria or disease and died from it and was past on to the kits as a friend of mine told me that's what it looks like and he's had same happen to his dog few years back.

Knine

Sorry to hear this. It certainly sounds like that alright. Maybe you could ask for a PM to be done?

The vet saying they drank her dry is a cop out. This would not kill her but rather she would lose condition and just stop producing milk.

Awful thing to happen on you.