Do you regularly check your ferret for ectoparasites ?
This is something owners can do at home and something that should be part of every routine health check.
Your ferret may look all cute and fluffy with their beautiful coat but have you ever checked what’s lying beneath?
Let’s have a look at some different types of parasites that can be an unwanted friend to your ferret.
Sarcoptes scabiei ( sarcoptic mange mites )
These can occasionally be seen in ferrets. It is usually passed on through direct contact with the mite or by contact with fomites (materials which are likely to carry infection) .
Clinical signs include intense pruritus (itchy skin) with generalised alopecia ( hair loss ) . Sometimes the feet can become swollen or crusted.It is usually diagnosed by a skin scrape. This is when a vet scrapes the surface of the skin and looks at the findings under the microscope ( don’t worry it’s not as bad as it sounds , usually the ferret will tolerate this well)
Treatment is with ivermectin at 0.2-0.4mg/kg s/c repeated every 7-14 days for three doses.It’s worth noting the environment should be cleaned well and any other animals in contact should be treated. Sarcoptes scabiei is zoonotic (spread between animals and people)
Otodectes cyanotis ( ear mite )
These horrible little critters that also affect dogs and cats can cause chronic irritation as well as secondary bacterial infections.
The ferret may shake their head and crusting within the ear may be visible.
The mite can be identified using an otoscope and from examining a swab of debris taken from the ear under the microscope at 40x magnification.
Salamectin spot on treatment at 45mg applied between the shoulder blades can be used.
Ctenocephalides spp. ( dog and cat flea ) can infest ferrets.
Mild to more intense pruritus can be seen.
Flea dirt and live fleas may also be seen when parting the ferrets hair.
If you dampen a paper towel with water and place this under your ferret then give your ferret a good rub, there’s every chance if your ferret has fleas you will see red dots on the paper . This is flea dirt.
There’s products now licensed for ferrets you can use for example Advocate.
Ticks
Ticks can also affect ferrets. Is a good idea to check your ferret after every walk or after every outing if you use your ferret for hunting. Luckily Lyme disease has not been reported in ferrets.
Use a tick remover to gently twist the tick away from your ferret. This was ensures the head of the tick does not remain in your ferrets skin.
lynxacarus mustelae ( fur mite ) has keen known to cause ulcerative facial lesions can be treated with permethrin powder. Both the ferret and environment should be treated.
The demodex mite can cause pruritus and alopecia this is treated with amitraz.
It may seem scary to think of what can be creeping around on your ferrets skin but with regular checks and monthly preventative treatment you will probably find this is no real issue to you or your pet.
Checking your ferret at home . Do a nose to tail check of the ferrets skin and ears. Ferrets are notorious for being itchy but is the itching any more than normal ? Is it causing patches in the skin ? Can any parasites be seen ?
It is a good idea to get any pruritic issues checked out at the vets especially if it’s alongside alopecia as this can be an indication of serious disease in ferrets.