In This Chapter
Simply put, a parasite is an organism (or person) that feeds
off another organism without giving anything back. You may even know one or two
personally! Every living being is host to a parasite party or two — or maybe a hundred.
Parasites come in all shapes and sizes. Some are internal, and some are
external. Some are harmless and hardly noticeable; others can be quite damaging
and difficult to miss.
This chapter deals specifically with external and internal
pests that can bug the heck out of your fuzzy. I list these parasites and their
warning signs and give you tips on keeping your fuzzy critter-free. I also shed
some light on parasites, diseases, and germs that can affect both humans and
their better halves, the carpet sharks.
Booting External Critters That Go Bite in the Night
They’re ruthless and always hungry. Under a microscope, they
look a bit like creepy prehistoric monsters. They’re external parasites. Can
anything be more annoying to the pet and pet owner than external parasites?
Nothing that I know of. These incredibly sturdy little ectoparasites need
little to survive, and unfortunately, you and your ferret can be hosts to these
ungrateful diners. In the sections that follow, I introduce many common
external parasites that you must combat, and I give you the ammunition to kick
them off your and your fuzzy’s dinner table — namely, your skin.
Fleas
Fleas are the most common external parasites seen on
ferrets. They spend most of their time building flea resorts in your rugs and
couches and in any other cozy place they can find. One such cozy place is in
your fuzzy’s coat. Ferrets are just as prone to flea infestations as Fidos and
Tabbys. But before you can safely rid your domain of these blood-sucking pests
and prevent them from turning your frisky ferret into an illing itchy, you need
to know what kind of army you’re dealing with:
- Fleas are messy guests. The act of feasting on your pet’s warm blood triggers the female flea to lay thousands of eggs all over your home. Sometimes, you may observe a flea scurrying across its dinner table: your pet. More likely, you’ll see only the end results of the flea’s wild parties: the “flea dirt” left on the skin of your pet. This “dirt” is actually flea waste, which looks like tiny specks of reddish-black sand.
- Fleas are opportunistic little buggers. Where there is wildlife, there are fleas. And plenty of them. Fleas can hitchhike right into your home on other pets, and although they can’t live on humans, they can hitch a ride on your clothing or a picnic blanket, perhaps. And don’t forget about the greatly appreciated, supervised trips your ferret takes to the wonderful outdoors. Through no fault of her own, your ferret may bring fleas into your house.
- Fleas love warm, humid places. Fleas seek all warm-blooded victims. Although it may be warm and humid for only several months a year where you live, your battle against fleas is year round.
Warning!
Fleas can be more than a mere nuisance. A severe flea infestation can cause life-threatening anemia (a reduction in red blood cells, causing fatigue and weakness) in your ferret. Fleas also can carry parasites such as tapeworms and pass them along to both you and your fuzzy. The bottom line: If your ferret has fleas, you need to get rid of them as soon as possible.
The following sections let you know how to check for these
annoying critters and give you steps to take to free your home from their
terrible reign.
Checking for fleas
Some indications of a flea infestation include small bites
(tiny, red raised marks) or reddened areas or lesions on the skin due to plenty
of scratching. Severe infestations may bring poor fur quality, thinning patches
of fur, and fur discoloration. You may find yourself suffering some of the same
scratching effects; don’t be surprised if you have some bites around your feet
and ankles if the infestation is severe (fleas can jump over 100 times their
body length). Herein lies one of the biggest problems with fleas: Their tiny
bites are painfully itchy. To a flea-allergic pet, the situation can be almost
unbearable as she scratches out her skin and her underbelly becomes irritated.
To check your fuzzy for fleas, ruffle back her fur with your
hands and examine her skin closely — particularly the belly. You should also
inspect your ferret’s bedding and change it often. You can shake out her towels
or other bedding onto a white floor or a piece of paper and then distinguish
the specks of kitty litter from the flea dirt.
Ridding your ferret and home of fleas
After you discover that fleas have invaded your home, you
need to act to get rid of them as quick as you can. The steps in the following
sections give you the how-to. Before you treat your ferret for fleas, however,
keep the following points in mind:
- If one of your pets has fleas, all your pets have fleas. If you have several pets, you must treat them all, whether or not you see evidence of fleas on each one.
- What’s safe for a dog may kill your ferret. Controls such as sprays, dips, and flea collars aren’t meant for fuzzies. Ferrets are hypersensitive to most of these products — particularly organophosphate pesticides. Even “ferret-safe” products can be harmful to a sick, geriatric, young (under 12 weeks old), or nursing ferret.
- You must see a veterinarian before applying any flea product on your ferret (or any pet, for that matter). Your vet will make sure the product is safe and that your pet is healthy enough to withstand chemical treatment.
Step 1: Treat your ferret
To rid your ferret and home of fleas, begin by bathing all
your warm-blooded furry pets with safe flea shampoos. After you purchase a
ferret-safe flea shampoo — preferably one made with pyrethrins or other natural
ingredients — follow these steps:
1. Gently bathe your ferret from head to toe — and remember the tail (tails have fleas, too).
Refer to Chapter Cleaning Time: Not All Ferret Fun and Games for detailed information on bathing your ferret. Here are some highlights: Don’t forget your goggles, snorkel, and shoulder-length rubber gloves, and remember to prevent the shampoo from getting into the eyes, nose, mouth, and ears.
2. When your ferret is dry, use a flea comb to remove any flea corpses from her coat.
3. Move the fuzzy to a warm, dry, flea-free place before you tackle her cage.
A travel carrier works well in times like these. After all, putting a squeaky-clean furball into a flea-infested cage doesn’t make much sense.
Step 2: Treat your ferret’s cage, bedding, and other stuff
When your ferret is bathed and flea-free, you’re ready to
tackle her cage and bedding. (Note: You have to do the same with your other pet
stuff, too.) Follow these steps to treat these fuzzy fixtures:
1. Remove all bedding from the cage and machine wash it in hot water.
If you prefer, you can place it in a sealed plastic bag and throw it away.
2. Scrub the cage thoroughly with hot, soapy water and then dry.
3. Spray the cleaned, dry cage with a cat-safe flea spray and allow it to thoroughly dry.
Step 3: Treat your home
The third step — treating your entire home — is probably the
most inconvenient and time-consuming of all the steps. You may have killed the
fleas on your ferret and the eggs on her bedding, but thousands of eggs may be
getting ready to hatch all over your house, including in the baseboards, carpeting,
and furniture.
You have several options for treating your home for fleas.
The easiest way is to hire a professional exterminator. Other hands-on methods
are foggers, sprays, and powders that you apply. As you decide what method to
use, keep in mind that ferrets are remarkably sensitive to chemicals, so choose
the safest and most natural method whenever possible. And always follow product
directions when going it alone.
Before treating the environment with sprays or powders, it’s
imperative that you completely remove all your pets, including your ferret (and
her cage/toys/bowls), from the premises until everything settles and dries. It
isn’t good for your ferret to be walking through wet sprays or having the
powders settling on her body/stuff. Nor is it healthy for her to inhale the
chemicals. Follow the directions on the bottles/can before returning your pet
to your home.
Remember
Because most commercial flea-killing products don’t successfully kill all the eggs, larvae, and pupae, you may need to repeat this step 7 to 21 days after the first treatment, depending on which product you use. Make sure you acquire the advice of an expert.
Step 4: Stop fleas from coming back
You must make a regular effort to prevent reinfestation
after you take the first few steps to treat for fleas. Here are some general
suggestions:
- Keep your pet’s environment clean by vacuuming and scrubbing regularly.
- Empty the vacuum bag after vacuuming each time, because fleas can survive in the bag and continue to lay eggs. The babies will hatch and leave the vacuum.
- Inspect and de-flea all incoming pets before they enter your home.
The following list presents products that you should use
only in conjunction with your vet’s blessing:
- Advantage (Bayer): Made with the ingredient imidacloprid, Advantage is said to kill 98–100 percent of the fleas within 24 hours.
Applying a small amount of the liquid directly on the skin at the base of your ferret’s skull provides up to 28 days of protection. The liquid spreads evenly across your ferret’s skin to provide full-body coverage. Monthly applications are advised to protect against newly hatching fleas. Reapplication is recommended after bathing, but your ferret should receive no more than one application per week.
- Frontline Top Spot (Merial): Made with the active ingredient fipronil, this product targets both fleas and ticks (see the following section). It’s designed to be continually released onto the ferret’s skin and fur for at least one full month after initial application.
Frontline Top Spot becomes waterproof two days after application; therefore, don’t bathe your ferret during this period. If you must bathe your ferret before applying the product, wait at least five days after the bath before applying Frontline Top Spot. Some ferret owners prefer to use the Frontline spray because it’s easier to dose.
One reason Frontline Top Spot is deemed so safe for mammals is because it isn’t absorbed into a pet’s bloodstream. Like Advantage, Frontline should be applied monthly.
- Revolution (Pfizer): Made with the active ingredient selamectin, Revolution is a topically applied product that prevents heartworm, kills adult fleas, prevents flea eggs from hatching, and treats and controls earmite infestation. It’s also said to treat and control sarcoptic mange.
Unlike Advantage and Frontline, Revolution enters the bloodstream and tissues through the skin. You can bathe your pet after letting Revolution absorb for four hours. Talk to your vet about the correct dosage for your ferret.
Revolution has a very low adverse-reaction rate, and when compared to other products on the market, Revolution has the broadest spectrum of prevention and treatment of parasites.
The wonderful thing about these products is that they kill
the fleas before they lay eggs. If you stick with one of the products with all
your pets, chances are you won’t often (if ever) need to go through the
frenzied treatment process I describe in the previous sections.
Ticks
Ticks look like tiny brown crabs. When filled with blood,
they resemble a raised mole on the skin. Ticks will appear without warning.
They don’t generally occur as an infestation, but rather as a single incident;
perhaps you’ll find up to several at a time if your ferret has been walking
through infested brush areas. You should always check for ticks carefully after
walks. The ticks may be flat, attached, but not yet filled with blood. Or they
may be attached and already starting to fill up.
Here are a couple things to know about ticks:
- Finding ticks can be difficult. You must feel beneath the fur for the tiny lumps. Ears are also great hiding spots for ticks.
- Ticks can harbor some diseases, including Lyme disease, that can affect both humans and other animals. Some spot-on products (see the previous section) used to control fleas are also effective in killing ticks.
Fortunately, ticks are relatively easy to deal with. If you
find one hitched to your fuzzy’s skin, follow these steps:
1. Using a pair of tweezers or forceps, grab the tick as close to the ferret’s skin as possible.
2. Gently pull off the tick, being sure not to leave the tick’s barbed mouth parts still attached to the fuzzy’s skin.
3. After removal, crush or burn the tick.
Warning!
Don’t burn the tick off of your ferret. Many people suggest this, but you run the risk of seriously burning your fuzzy.
Cuterebra flies
Cuterebra flies, which don’t bite or sting, look like big
hunched-back bumble-bees. They lay their eggs along well-traveled paths and
around the burrows of typical hosts, such as rabbits and rodents. The heat and
moisture emitted from the host animals as they pass by triggers the eggs to
hatch into larvae, called warbles. Although ferrets aren’t the main target
hosts, they can become infested when they’re playing outside.
The tiny warbles enter the ferret’s mouth or nose or
sometimes through a tiny open wound on its skin. Contrary to some beliefs,
warbles can’t burrow into the healthy skin of an animal from the outside.
Warbles can remain in the nose or mouth for several days before migrating to
various spots beneath the skin where they pupate — usually on the head, neck,
or trunk. The warbles remain under the skin for approximately 30 days while
they undergo some astonishing changes.
As a warble enlarges, a swelling beneath the skin begins to
appear, which is when you should notice a problem. Depending on the stage of
growth, a warble can range in size from a few millimeters to a couple of
centimeters. The lesion looks a little like an abscess, but if you look
closely, you’ll see a tiny opening at the top of it, which is where the larva
breathes in air. Occasionally, you may see a discharge coming from the opening,
but this isn’t common. You may see your ferret biting or scratching at the
lump, or his fur around the lump may be matted.
To treat the warble, you need to head to the vet’s office.
Your vet needs to enlarge the wound and remove the warble carefully so as not
to rupture it. A rupture can cause a secondary infection or trigger the
ferret’s immune system to attack the material as if it was a foreign body. The
resulting wound, when thoroughly cleaned, should remain open during the healing
process. New, healthy tissue will slowly fill in the hole. Your vet will give
you all the details about caring for the wound after his work is done.
Ear mites
Blood-sucking ear mites are common in ferrets. You can
identify the issue by checking your fuzzy’s ear canals for brownish-black gunk.
Ferrets with ear mites may show the following symptoms:
- Scratching feverishly at their ears
- Walking with a slight head tilt
- Shaking their heads due to the extreme discomfort
Their ears may also stink and be slightly discolored.
Treatment for ear mites is relatively easy (if you stick
with it) and is necessary to prevent secondary infections that can be extremely
painful and even result in deafness. Some vets may prescribe an ear ointment
such as Tresaderm. Others may use injectible ivermectin. Ivermectin (the same
as injectible ivermectin) mixed with propylene glycol or used by itself and applied
directly into the ear canal also works. You can even use Revolution, which is a
flea treatment I discuss in the earlier flea section.
Here are some other things you need to know about ear mite
treatment:
- Ear mites can pass between fuzzies and other household pets and vice versa, so it’s important to treat all animals.
- Wash all bedding frequently during treatments.
- You can’t eradicate ear mites with one application of medicine; you have to use a series of applications. A minimum of two treatments, 7 to 10 days apart, is usually necessary, so it’s crucial to be painstakingly thorough. Medications designed to kill the mites won’t kill the eggs, which is why you have to repeat treatment. Mites hatch out after the first treatment. The second treatment kills the second batch of mites before they have a chance to lay eggs again and start the cycle over.
Sarcoptic mange (scabies)
As someone who’s suffered from the dreadful pest known as
sarcoptic mange (scabies), I can testify that the condition is unbearably itchy
and definitely no fun. This external bug is in the mite family and passes quite
easily from animal to animal or from animal to human. Depending on your
ferret’s case, her symptoms may include itchy patches of hair loss on the
belly, face, or legs or crusty skin with oozing, pimple-like sores. Sometimes,
the scabies infestation attacks only the feet and toes, causing severe
inflammation. Marked by scabby, swollen, red feet, foot rot often results in
the claws falling out if left untreated. A vet can make a diagnosis with skin
scrapings.
For treatment, you can choose really, really stinky
vet-prescribed lime sulfur dips and shampoos, or you can go the simple route
with oral or injectible ivermectin. You can also use Revolution, which I
discuss in the earlier flea section.
Battling the Internal Bugaboos That Threaten Your Fuzzy
It’s bad enough that pests want to invade the outside of
your little fuzzbutt, but some also want to take over your fuzzy’s insides.
Some internal parasites can be life threatening and require immediate
attention. You must stay vigilant for the warning signs and always take your
little one to the vet if you suspect that something’s wrong. In the following
sections, I introduce some dangerous internal parasites and detail the warning
signs that wave red flags so you can rush your fuzzy to the vet.
Warning!
Never, ever take on the role of doctor and medicate your ferret without your vet’s guidance. Ferrets are tiny creatures and can overdose very easily. Some medications can be lethal in certain combinations. Also, you may cause more harm if you misdiagnose or fail to see other underlying health problems. Don’t be hasty. Always get help from an experienced ferret vet who can diagnose and come up with the proper course of action (see Chapter Setting Up Your Ferret’s Health Plan: Vets and First-Aid Kits for more on finding one).
Intestinal worms
Ferrets are susceptible to many intestinal worms, including
roundworms, hookworms, tapeworms, flukes, and lungworms. Almost all intestinal
infestations harbor the same symptoms:
- Dry, brittle fur
- Weight loss
- Diarrhea, mucousy or bloody poops, and/or worms in the poop (in rare, serious infestations)
- Abdominal bloating
- Weakness or lethargy
- Itchy heinie
- Increased appetite with weight loss
- Increased gas
- Tender belly
Some intestinal worms are passed from one animal to another
or to a human through an animal’s infected poop. Some, like tapeworm, are
passed through fleas or other intermediate hosts. Others can get into the
system just by having their tiny larva burrow through the skin.
Although the symptoms generally are the same, treatment of
intestinal parasites can vary depending on the organism you’re dealing with.
Some worms require oral medication in liquid or pill form. Others can fall to
an injection (often ivermectin). Whatever the case, intestinal parasites left
untreated can cause your ferret to have chronic intestinal problems and be
prone to poor health. In rare instances, severe cases of intestinal worms can
cause death. If you have more than one ferret and one of them has internal
parasites, chances are you have more than one wormy fuzzy. Treat all your
ferrets thoroughly, according to your vet’s instructions. Don’t forget to
change their litter boxes and clean the cage to prevent reinfestation. If you
also have dogs and cats, check them for parasites, too. Animals just love to
get into poop!
Giardia
Giardia, a lovely protozoan, can get into you or your ferret
via a water source (streams, lakes, ponds, and infected tap water, for example)
or through the ingestion of infected poop. After gaining access to the
intestinal tract, these buggers attack the inner lining of the intestine,
causing an uncomfortable inflammation. Signs of giardia infestation include
weight loss, bloating, diarrhea, and mucousy poops.
Technical Stuff
Giardia can be difficult to find under the microscope. You need a very fresh poop sample looked at immediately — like, while it’s still steaming. Better yet, have your vet take a swab from the rectum. The very best course of action is to send a sample in a special solution to the lab for proper analysis and identification. Some people believe giardia is rare in ferrets, but others believe that it’s very common and only shows its ugly warning signs when the fuzzy is stressed out. This is one parasite that’s still being investigated.
The treatment suggested by a vet is oral medication —
usually Flagyl (metronidazole). Some vets suggest Panacur (fenbendazole) as
another option, although this medication isn’t made specifically to combat
giardia. For healthy fuzzies, some experts think that the symptoms may go away
without treatment. I always suggest getting help. It may take up to a month to cure
your furball, but your effort is well worth it.
Tip
Some medications — especially Flagyl and Pepto-Bismol — are so offensive to fuzzies that they projectile-ptooey them all over you. A treat such as Linatone can come in handy. Mixing the medication with a yummy supplement can save you a laundry bill and reduce the rebellion on your ferret’s part. Keep in mind, though, what you’re medicating the fuzzy for in the first place; for example, ferrets with insulinoma shouldn’t have sweet stuff.
Coccidia (coccidiosis)
Coccidia is a protozoan infection common in ferrets as well
as other animals. The infection is picked up through the ingestion of infected
poop and can be diagnosed by your vet if you provide a stool sample. However, a
stool sample isn’t always a fail-proof test. Your fuzzy may shed the oocysts
(eggs) only periodically, which means you may test a poop on a day when no
oocysts were shed. For the most accurate results, pick a poop that’s bloody and
mucousy.
Severe coccidia infestations can cause diarrhea, lethargy,
dehydration, weight loss, loss of appetite, and, in severe cases, death. Kits
(baby ferrets) are most susceptible to severe coccidia infestations and may
have thin, brittle fur and a sparse coat. The kit’s whiskers are stubby and
broken off. In prolonged conditions, her heinie may appear red and swollen.
Treatment often is successful if you catch the condition early enough. Many
vets prescribe Albon (sulfadimethoxine) to treat coccidia.
by Kim Schilling
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