my ferrett has worms

Question
please help i just noticed today that my 2 ferrets have worms in their cage i believe that they are tap worms and wanted to know if i could use a small dosage of cat wormer on them.. i really have no money to take them to the vet and i hope i can help them at home thank you so much for your help

Corinne

Answer
Hello Corinne,

To treat ANY form of parasite, your ferret will HAVE to see a vet.  There are NO over the counter parasite medications formulated for ferrets, and they are POISON.  Giveing any medication without veterinary consent could harm your ferrets.  

Ferrets can and do get worms.  Just like cats and dogs, ferrets can get round worms, hook worms, tape worms, coccidia, giardia, etc. YUCK.  It would be prudent to being a fresh stool sample to your veterinarian for testing.  In fact, you should bring one of each of your pets if you have any cats or dogs.  Some types of worms (but not all) can be transferred between species, including humans.  Even if you treat your ferret, but not the other animals, the worms can return!

Your veterinarian can perform a fecal float test to determine if there are any parasites. From here, he can give medication to rid the infestation.  Remember, most worms spread by eggs in the environment.  Use very dilute bleach to clean out any littler pans, surfaces, cage, etc and wash all bedding in hot water and detergent during the treatment period.  If one animal has worms, treat ALL of them in the house.  Even if one animal comes up with a negative result, it does not mean an infestation is not starting within that pet.  

The reason the fecal float test is so important is because different types of parasites require different medications.  For example, coccidia requires albon or TMS.  Girdia uses flagyl or panacur.  Many of the others use generic broad spectrum de-wormers. Your pets may have one type of parasite or multiple.  This is why a test is required to determine which medication is needed.  Only your vet would be able to tell you what is safe and at what dose to treat a parasite infection.  

Tape worms in particular can be spread by fleas.  Since ferrets have a higher body temperature than cats and dogs, they are the preferred food source.  If your little guys have fleas, humans act as a wonderful method of transportation.  It is likely one of you or another pet unknowingly brought them inside, and your ferrets looked tasty!  You do want to seek treatment ASAP because ferrets are small can can become easily anemic from the loss of blood.  They can also contract nasty little parasites from fleas, such as tapeworms.  It is not unheard of for ferrets to due because of the loss of blood due to fleas.  

If fleas are present, there is a topical medication called Feline/kitten Revolution.  You can use 1/2 tube of the  LESS THAN 5 lb dose and this is a safe and easy way to control fleas, ear mites, etc. It will kill the fleas for a month before it needs another application. This is the ONLY flea medication I recommend for ferrets, since it works well and is very safe.  It will NOT kill tapeworms, but it will help prevent reinfection.    

One important thing to remember is to ONLY buy products such as Revolution from your Vet, NOT online or a pet store! Some of these products are counterfeit, and you cannot be positive that the flea medication you are giving is the right dose/chemicals with over the counter medication.  Especially with flea control, IT IS A POISON.  You have to be VERY careful what you put on your pets!!! I have seen Horrible adverse reactions to flea products, and some pets can die from them.     

Remember, NEVER use ANY flea treatment formulated for Cats or Dogs WITHOUT THE OK FROM YOUR VET!!  Also, Never EVER use flea collars, dips, sprays or powders!  These can be VERY dangerous or life threatening.  Be aware that topical (drop-form) long lasting medications cannot be washed off, and if your ferret has a reaction it can be SERIOUS.  I do not recommend any over the counter topical flea medication without consulting your veterinarian FIRST.    

Remember that flea treatment is just as important in the environment as on the pet!  Make sure to wash all bedding in hot water and vacuum SEVERAL TIMES to remove any remaining eggs or fleas. Flea bombs are another choice, but make sure you remove your ferrets from the premises for at least 24 hrs afterwards.   

I hope this helps and your home is soon worm free!  If you have any other questions, do not hesitate to ask.  Unfortunately, your ferrets NEED to see a vet to solve this problem.  Using over the counter medications is VERY dangerous and could harm your ferrets.  

-Cindy P.