Ferrets have an average lifespan of 6-10 years. Nelson was a stray, but as far as we can estimate his age, he's somewhere between 7
1/
2 and 8
1/
2 years old. This summer, he was looking very sorry for himself - scrawny, weak, lethargic, sparse fur which was very coarse, and every time you picked him up, his joints made a "cloink" noise. The vet offered some kibble which was designed for elderly arthritic animals, but it did not pass the ferret food identification challenge.
So I did some research, and found that cod liver oil is meant to be good for the joints. You have to be careful not to feed too much of it, or you can get an overdose of some vitamins, but if you buy supermaket budget oil and read the small print, it's been diluted 50% with sunflower oil, which is good.* (Supermarket cheap oil also has the advantage of being pongy as hell, which the ferrets adore).
Having been some months on a thrice-weekly cod liver oil supplement, I can report that Nelson is now bright of (solitary) eye, his fur has mostly grown back, he has put weight back on, he has been scampering playfully around the house and chewing my foot off in an affectionate (for him) manner, and you just need to shout "fishy oil!" and he goes running eagerly to the bathroom cabinet.
Success, I think.
*Ferrets naturally need a high protein-and-oil diet anyway - it's what their metabolism is tuned for.
