skin conditions

Question
I have a male Marshall Farm Ferret that is just over a year old. With in the past week he has developed a thick black crust on the nap of his neck that he has scratched raw places and has lost his hair in these areas. It is spreading rapidly. He is the only animal in the house, his bedding is changed regularly and isn't over-bathed. I was told to use Adam's flea, tick and mite spray on him in case he had mites. I don't know if that was the right thing to do with these area being raw. Can you please help me. Should I use neosporin on these areas? Thanks for any and all avice.......Wendy

Answer
Hi Wendy,

I am so sorry for the delayed response! I would strongly advise that you do not put anything like tick or mite spray on him without explicit instructions from a ferret veterinarian.

It sounds like it *may be* a mast cell tumor and that should really be checked out by a qualified veterinarian. Given your description and my research, it could be a mast cell tumor that has become ulcerated. Again, I want to stress that I am not a vet, and so this is only my advice based on the research I've done. The research states that the neck and the "trunk" of a ferret is generally where these things appear.

I would really suggest that you get your little guy in for a look at that growth because it could be cancerous, or it could become cancerous one day. If it is a mast cell tumor, the vet should biopsy and possibly remove it.

I hope this helps and if you have further questions, concerns, or you need anything clarified, please let me know. Also, let me know if you don't have a ferret vet yet. I can give you some links!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews