Ferret With Twitch In Its Jaw

Q: My ferret Daisy is getting over a parasitic infection. She had blood in her stool. My veterinarian gave her Baytril .03ml two times a day. The stool is cleared up, but she has a twitch in her jaw. What is causing the twitch?

A: Unfortunately, it is impossible to know what is causing a twitch, because a “twitch” is very uncommon in ferrets. You do not say how old your ferret is but insulinoma disease, due to low blood glucose, may cause a ferret to have small seizures that some people may interpret as a “twitch.” This is a very uncommon side effect of insulinoma disease, but it can occur when the blood sugar becomes very low.

If the twitch is a new condition, call or revisit your veterinarian to determine what the cause of this may be. Neither a parasite, blood in the stool or Baytril (an antibiotic) should cause a twitch of any sort in any part of the body. So, it is likely that what you are describing is not related to her previous problem or treatment.