Is my ferret's firm left rib cage serious if he's still active?

Question

My ferrets stomach seems a little firm under the left side of his rib cage. Haven’t noticed it before. He is still very active and plays hard and is still eating very much as normal. He did make some coughing wheezing noises for about 10 minutes earlier today but soon started eating and drinking again. I gave him some ferretlax to help loosen things up just Incase. Do you think this could be a more serious problem? Pet's info: Small Animal | Ferret | Male | neutered | 2 lbs

Lotus Altholtz · Accepted Answer

Firmness under the left rib cage could be due to more serious problems like bloat, an enlarged liver/spleen, or an abdominal mass, but if Slinky is now eating/drinking normally and pooping normally (normal consistency and frequency), I would just continue with the ferretlax for 3 more days and perhaps offer Oxbox critical care slurry for added hydration. If tomorrow and the next day the abdomen still feels firm on palpation, it would be safest to schedule an exam +/- ultrasound or abdominal radiograph with your local exotics veterinarian. Ferrets are prone to developing insulinomas and adrenal tumors that usually are not noticeable on palpation but if the firmness persists, it would be best to rule out some of these more serious conditions. Good luck!

Is my ferret's firm left rib cage serious if he's still active?

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