Your ferret’s health record: what to write down, which papers to keep

Identity

Name, date of birth, sex, coat colour, microchip number, a recent photo.

Vaccines

The date, the vaccine label your vet sticks in, the next booster date, and any reaction seen after the injection.

Neutering or implant

Surgery or hormone implant, with the date: the implant is renewed when signs return, after about a year and a half to two years in females.

Parasite treatments

The product, the date and your ferret’s weight at the time of treatment.

Weight

Weigh-ins, ideally every month, to tell normal seasonal changes from real weight loss.

Treatments and observations

Medicines given, for how long, and signs noted with their date: hair loss, seasons, weakness.

Contacts

Your vet who is experienced with ferrets, and an out-of-hours clinic that treats ferrets.

In the UK, ferrets don’t have to be microchipped by law, but the PDSA recommends it because they are notorious escape artists. If your ferret is chipped, note the chip number in the record and keep the database registration with it. According to the BSAVA, keeping the database details up to date is the keeper’s responsibility: update them every time you move house or change phone number.

To travel from Great Britain to an EU country, according to GOV.UK, your ferret must be microchipped before or at the same time as its rabies vaccination, which can be given from 12 weeks. You must wait at least 21 full days after the first vaccination, then get an animal health certificate signed by an official vet within 10 days of travel. A new certificate is needed for each trip: keep a copy with the record.

In the UK, the PDSA says rabies vaccination is only needed if you plan to travel abroad. Your vet’s vaccination record or card also lists the distemper vaccine: it is the document to show the person who looks after your ferret.

The MSD Veterinary Manual recommends an examination and vaccinations every year, with a check of the teeth and gums; the PDSA advises a health check every 6 to 12 months. It is also a chance to spot early the diseases common in adult ferrets, such as adrenal gland disease or insulinoma. Bring the record: your vet can see the dates and the weight chart at a glance.

The MSD manual advises finding a vet who is experienced with ferrets even before your ferret arrives, as well as an out-of-hours clinic that treats them.

With a ferret, care is often shared: one person weighs, another gives the treatment, a third takes it to the vet. A digital copy, shared with everyone who looks after your ferret, lets you find the date of the last vaccine or implant in an instant, and show it to your vet.

MyArk keeps your ferret’s health record on the iPhone of everyone you invite: vaccines, implant, parasite treatments, medicines and weights, available with no time limit, even without a subscription.

• Past vaccines, implant, parasite treatments and medicines
• Upcoming reminders, sent to everyone in the household
• The weight chart and your vet’s contact details
• With MyArk Complete, a PDF export for your vet or pet sitter