Ferret parasite control: fleas, ear mites, ticks and heartworm

According to the MSD Veterinary Manual, fleas are common in ferrets and pass easily between them and the other pets in the home, in both directions. An untreated ferret living with a treated dog or cat can keep an infestation going.

As with dogs and cats, most of the flea population lives in the environment, not on the animal: beds, hammocks, rugs. Treating the ferret alone is not always enough.

• Treat all the pets in the home at the same time, each with a product suitable for them.
• Wash your ferret’s hammocks, blankets and bedding often.
• Vacuum where your ferret plays and sleeps, and empty the bag or canister straight away.

Ear mites are the most common external parasite in ferrets. It is the same mite that affects dogs and cats, and it passes from one species to another. According to the MSD manual, grey or gritty earwax, or a bad smell, should make you think of ear mites.

Only a vet can confirm ear mites, by examining the ear. Never push a cotton bud into the ear canal.

• A ferret that goes outside, on a harness walk or in a garden, can pick up ticks: the PDSA advises keeping a tick remover at home and learning how to use it safely.
• Remove any tick with the tick remover as soon as you see it, then note the date.
• Sarcoptic mange, which is rarer, can affect the whole body or just the feet, with sores on the toes and pads. It needs treatment prescribed by your vet.

Heartworm is caused by a worm spread through mosquito bites. According to the BSAVA, it is not endemic in the UK, and most cases seen here are in animals that have travelled to or come from countries where it is found; ESCCAP describes it as endemic across southern Europe. Ferrets are susceptible, especially with outdoor access: according to the MSD manual, a single worm can be enough to make a ferret ill, and the disease is hard to diagnose in ferrets.

According to the PDSA, ferrets don’t tend to catch intestinal worms, so routine worming is rarely needed. Young ferrets can, however, suffer from microscopic gut parasites (coccidia, giardia) that cause diarrhoea: only a poo sample test can identify them.

• Only use a product your vet has approved for ferrets, and never one meant for another pet in the home without their agreement.
• The dose depends on weight: weigh your ferret before treating.
• Note the date and the product: it is the only way to know when the next one is due.
• Your vet adapts the routine to your ferret’s lifestyle: time outdoors, other pets, travel abroad.

Once you have agreed a routine with your vet, MyArk turns it into a recurring reminder shared by everyone in the household. Whoever treats the ferret ticks it off, and the next date is worked out automatically.

• A reminder at the interval you choose, for every pet in the home
• Flea treatments for all your pets in the same calendar
• Every treatment kept in your ferret’s health record
• Weights logged in the same place, for the right dose