Ferrets for Life
Dealing with Fleas Ticks and other Parasites..
Flea
Like cats and dogs, ferrets can be bitten by fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and other potentially harmful parasites. Ctenocephalides felis, the most common cat flea, is the primary culprit. But since ferrets love to explore burrows, if they're let outside, they can readily come into contact with others. Just as with cats and dogs, flea problems are more common at certain seasons of the year. When it's warm and humid fleas and mosquitoes both become more active as they start their breeding cycle. Ticks are more common in the summer, though they can be around earlier.
The presence of fleas on or around your ferret can be identified in a number of ways. Flea droppings are small, dark brown or black specks that may be visible even when the fleas aren't. If you comb your fingers gently through their fur backwards, you can generally spot them quite easily. If the fleas themselves are still around, they'll be even more obvious, since they move. That motion can be a particular problem since it means fleas can jump off the ferret and onto bedding, furniture, carpets and elsewhere. When that happens you have a wider problem, which we'll tackle below.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure in this case. A good flea shampoo designed for ferrets will help keep them clean and itch free. Just as there are for dogs and cats, there are compounds that are useful for more heavy-duty infestations.
Those containing pyrethrins are relatively safe. They act as flea repellents and can kill adult fleas. They come in powdered form, as wipes to brush over the fur, and other forms. Advantage, the now-familiar dog product, made by Bayer, comes in a form that is safe for ferrets. Ask your veterinarian for the correct dosage. Generally, the Advantage Orange for cats works well, or as a rule of thumb, one drop for each pound that your ferret weighs. Apply it on the back of the neck once a month to insure flea protection all year round. It spreads out over the surface of the skin under the fur and is perfectly safe for the ferret and your furniture. As the advantage crystals on the ferret fall off into the carpet and your sofa cushions, (or wherever the ferret goes) the advantage will kill the adult fleas and any new larvae as they emerge from the eggs and cocoons that are embedded in the environment. The flea cocoons or pupae use the carpet fibers into their shell and firmly attaches them to the deep layers of your carpet. The flea pupae can live for almost 2 years in their dormant state and are impervious to insecticides. That is why using a flea product all year round is the best defense from a flea infestation.
Once the fleas spread to furniture, carpets, bedding and clothing you have a larger problem. Bedding and clothing can be washed in hot water with diluted bleach. Carpets and couch will need to be treated with a special flea-killing powder such as boric acid (flea busters) that vacuums up. If you choose not to, fleas will eventually jump onto pets, including the ferret where they are killed by the Advantage or other treatments.
Ticks represent a special problem. They feed on the blood, and can pass diseases to the ferrets through their saliva. When they're spotted, it's important to try to remove them completely. Take a pair of tweezers and grab firmly then pull with a jerk. If you leave part of the head or pincers behind, the area can become infected.
When in doubt, seek the advice of your veterinarian. Fleas, ticks and mosquitoes, though less commonly than reported in the media, can and do sometimes carry dangerous viruses. Look for signs of illness and seek medical attention when needed.
The presence of fleas on or around your ferret can be identified in a number of ways. Flea droppings are small, dark brown or black specks that may be visible even when the fleas aren't. If you comb your fingers gently through their fur backwards, you can generally spot them quite easily. If the fleas themselves are still around, they'll be even more obvious, since they move. That motion can be a particular problem since it means fleas can jump off the ferret and onto bedding, furniture, carpets and elsewhere. When that happens you have a wider problem, which we'll tackle below.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure in this case. A good flea shampoo designed for ferrets will help keep them clean and itch free. Just as there are for dogs and cats, there are compounds that are useful for more heavy-duty infestations.
Those containing pyrethrins are relatively safe. They act as flea repellents and can kill adult fleas. They come in powdered form, as wipes to brush over the fur, and other forms. Advantage, the now-familiar dog product, made by Bayer, comes in a form that is safe for ferrets. Ask your veterinarian for the correct dosage. Generally, the Advantage Orange for cats works well, or as a rule of thumb, one drop for each pound that your ferret weighs. Apply it on the back of the neck once a month to insure flea protection all year round. It spreads out over the surface of the skin under the fur and is perfectly safe for the ferret and your furniture. As the advantage crystals on the ferret fall off into the carpet and your sofa cushions, (or wherever the ferret goes) the advantage will kill the adult fleas and any new larvae as they emerge from the eggs and cocoons that are embedded in the environment. The flea cocoons or pupae use the carpet fibers into their shell and firmly attaches them to the deep layers of your carpet. The flea pupae can live for almost 2 years in their dormant state and are impervious to insecticides. That is why using a flea product all year round is the best defense from a flea infestation.
Once the fleas spread to furniture, carpets, bedding and clothing you have a larger problem. Bedding and clothing can be washed in hot water with diluted bleach. Carpets and couch will need to be treated with a special flea-killing powder such as boric acid (flea busters) that vacuums up. If you choose not to, fleas will eventually jump onto pets, including the ferret where they are killed by the Advantage or other treatments.
Ticks represent a special problem. They feed on the blood, and can pass diseases to the ferrets through their saliva. When they're spotted, it's important to try to remove them completely. Take a pair of tweezers and grab firmly then pull with a jerk. If you leave part of the head or pincers behind, the area can become infected.
When in doubt, seek the advice of your veterinarian. Fleas, ticks and mosquitoes, though less commonly than reported in the media, can and do sometimes carry dangerous viruses. Look for signs of illness and seek medical attention when needed.
Tick
