Crunching the Numbers: The Hidden Expenses of Ferret Ownership

The Expensive Ferret Life

Expect to spend $500 or more on the ferret at any time. If you’re lucky, it will be less. If you're not, it will be a lot more. The ferret can seem fine one night. The next morning it can be sick and need hundreds of dollars in treatment. When these things come up, it is sudden and has to be paid for right then. You must be able to afford the sudden expense or this is not the pet for you!

People say all the time, I had ferrets before and didn't spend that kind of money on them or I know someone who doesn't. All I can say to that is, there is a lot we've learned about ferrets in recent years, including how to better care for them. And, just because someone didn't spend the money on the ferret, doesn't mean the money didn't need to be spent.

Below are some examples, so you have a better idea of the expense involved.

90% of ferrets will get adrenal disease. This involves three treatments over time: Melatonin implant that lasts 4-6 months $48. Deslorelin implant that lasts 12-14 months $200 + vet visit. Surgery is $600 - $1,500.

50% of ferrets will get insulinoma as they get older. This usually means several vet visits to get the ferret stabilized, medication twice a day that comes from the vet, and vet visits about once a year.

Ferrets get blockages very easily because they will eat anything off the floor. I had a ferret eat a 1/8" metal spring off the floor. There was no reason for him to eat something like that, but he did. It cost me $950. A lady's ferret was dying from a blockage. The ferret had chewed on material and swallowed a ¼” piece. She had already spent $350 at a vet close to her home. That vet quoted $3,000 to do surgery. She drove several hours to my vet and spent about $1,000. A ferret knocked over a lamp and chewed on foam under it. This happened on a Thursday. The couple ended up spending $2,500 to have blockage removal surgery because the ferret wouldn't make it until Monday and they had to use the vet that was available.

A lady’s ferret wasn’t acting right. She took the ferret to the emergency vet and then to her regular vet the next day. She spent $1,000 over two days on vet care.

A friend took her ferret to the vet for its distemper vaccination. She ended up spending $650 in one day because the vet felt something in the ferret's abdomen that had to be checked out.

I was boarding a ferret and had to rush it to the vet for emergency surgery for a hairball blockage. The bill was around $1,000. That would've been $1,500 at other vets.

A friend had a ferret get into a storage closet. Someone had not shut the door tight. The ferret got into something and spent two days at the vet on IV fluids and critical care and then had follow up care at a cost of nearly $1,000.

A ferret got a bacterial infection, which they can get from humans. It took five trips to the vet, four antibiotics, and x-rays to get him well. This cost over $600 at the rescue's cost. It would've been much higher for a non rescue.

This is a post on the rescue Facebook page about expenses. There are numerous responses from people about how much they've had to spend on their ferret.