Ferret Has Gray Skin On Toes

Q: My son brought home an adorable ferret, and we are all in love with her. She seems very happy and healthy, but on her rear right toes, the nail is very short and the skin around it is grayish. It doesn’t seem to bother her, but I’m concerned it might be a fungus. What should I do? And is something like Tinactin ointment safe for her?

A: Without seeing this, it is difficult to say if what you are describing is abnormal for your ferret. It could be that the toe and nail were previously injured and healed with a stunted nail.

Ferrets rarely have fungal infections on their toes, and I advise against the use of Tinactin ointment or any anti-fungal ointment without the supervision of a veterinarian.

An examination by your veterinarian will be able to tell you if this is just a normal variation or if this is a disease condition. If your ferret appears normal in every other aspect, I would suspect this is not a fungal infection but just normal for your ferret.