mosquitos

Question
QUESTION: It is so funny to watch our three month old ferret ambush our other ferrets and then sit there and suck on their ears. We were just wondering if it was a cleaning jesture or was she taken away from her mom a little fast?

ANSWER: Hello again Madeline,

The ear sucking is probably due to early weaning in the case of your little one and should go away as she grows up. It might also be grooming, but it seems more likely that she was weaned too early. If your other ferrets are having a problem with it, you could always get some Bitter Apple on the "affected" ferrets neck or on the OUTER ear (NOT the inner ear. That is so dangerous!!!), but if they don't get mad about it, your little girl should grow out of it.

By the way, I didn't meant to reject your questions about the bug repellent. I wouldn't suggest putting human bug repellent on a ferret, EVER! No way! The skin will absorb the chemicals that are meant to poison the bugs and that will not turn out well for your ferret! If you are worried about the possibility of mosquito bites transmitting heartworms, you should talk to you vet about a heartworm preventative, or unfortunately, don't let your ferrets go outside with you when the mosquitoes are out.

I hope this helps, and don't hesitate if you have other questions!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: How do you tell if your ferret has been bitten by a mosquito? Is there and little mark or anything? Also, how can you tell if your ferret has heart worms?

Answer
Hi Madeline,

I'm not totally sure how you would tell as my ferrets have never been bitten by a mosquito. I assume they would exhibit the same symptoms we do when we are bitten. There might be an irritated bump that they may itch constantly.

The symptoms of heartworms in ferrets include (but may not be limited to):
Coughing or hacking,
Lethargy,
Fluid buildup in the chest and abdomen,
Labored breathing,
Pale lips, gums and tongue,
Hypothermia (lowered body temp),
Heart murmur,
Muffled heart sounds,
Green color to the urine.

As little as one adult heartworm can kill an otherwise healthy ferret. I strongly suggest that you talk to your vet about heartworm prevention and/or keep your ferrets away from mosquitoes at all times!

As always, I hope this helps and if you ned anything else, you know where I am :)!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews