ferret sores

Question

Sore   QUESTION: My ferret skittles is almost 2 years old.  We recently got her and another ferret, Sinbad (1) from two separate owners and they are best friends.  They other day my sister and I discovered a sore on skittles belly, and another on her back.  We've been keeping an eye on her to see if they will heal first and then today, we discovered a sore on Sinbads side that looks very similar.  I'm very worried about them.  Do you have an idea of what it could be?  They live outside in a big cage and eat Nutriphase Gold ferret formula.  I am unaware of any other preexisting maladies.  Their poop has had a bit of yellow in it recently but we figured that it was due to the laxative we gave to them because they were shedding and getting furballs, and we were told to give them that.

ANSWER: Hi Danika,

I am so sorry to hear about Skittles and Sinbad. Thank you very much for being so thorough as to include a picture of the sore. Unfortunately, the only answer I can give you is that maybe an insect has started biting your little ones. You say they live outside? I don't mean to be rude, but keeping a ferret outside can be extremely dangerous, especially in these hot summer months. They cannot tolerate temperatures above eighty degrees. If they are kept in temperatures above that, the risk of heat stroke is very great. If I were you, I would really consider keeping your ferrets inside the house. It is much safer for them that way.

As for the sores, have you checked them thoroughly for fleas or ticks or other insects? Are there any in their cage or their bedding? Do they itch at the sores? You should check them and their cage over to make sure there are no insects. Also, you could try bringing them in the house for a while and seeing if the sores go away, after you are sure there are no pests on them or their bedding, of course. If you find fleas or ticks or anything else, you need to take those kids to the vet. I really think you should take them anyway to be sure of the sore's origin.

I am sorry I couldn't be of more assistance. I have never come across this problem, personally. Like I said, try inspecting them and making sure there are no pests and then take those kids inside. If budget allows, they should see a vet, too, just in case. If those sores are from tick bites, you will have a real problem on your hands. And please, please, please consider keeping your ferrets inside the house. It is dangerous out there for those little critters not to mention the fact that I know they want to be inside playing with their humans and being loved!

Please do let me know how it turns out and feel free to turn to one of my fellow experts for advice if you feel mine was inadequate.

I hope your little ones get to feeling better and I hope I helped. If you need anything else, please let me know!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews

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

QUESTION: Well we took little Skittles to the vet and it turns out that what the sores are are Cuterebra larva that have gotten in their skin.  So basically its a fly that is opportunistic and they lay their eggs near nests and burrows and then get into the nares or open wounds of critters such as ferrets and rabbits.  we let our ferrets burrow and dig tunnels in the garden and thats how they got them.  At this point, we are too tight financially to afford surgery to get the larvae removed, but in time, the larva will come out and the wound should heal up.  we did get antibiotics to prevent infection, so it should end well.  If you are interested, I can send you more pictures, and now that i know what it is, I can very clearly see the larva inside.  it is absoultely discusting but I am releaved to know that they SHOULD be okay, as long as we keep an eye on it and clean out the sores regularly.  Thanks so much for your help.
And to put your mind at ease, we live in very temperate Seattle where it rarely gets over 80 degrees and rarely under 45.  During the summer, on hot days we make sure they are very cool and we let them play in the sprinkler which they LOVE and cold months they are in our heated shop.  Since we have two, they can snuggle up in their warm beddings and are quite comfy and snug. Having them outside does not contribute to their current illness. So I hope that puts your mind at ease!

Answer
Hi again Danika!

Thank you so much for filling me in. I am so glad to hear the problem isn't life threatening. If you would send more pictures, I would really appreciate that because I have never encountered anything like that before with my kids so that would help me out a lot.

I'm glad to hear everything will be okay. I didn't mean to accuse you of anything about ferrets living outside. I wasn't trying to be rude at all! I apologize if it came off that way!

I hope I helped and if you need anything else please don't hesitate to ask!

Sincerely,
Emilee Andrews