Flea Spray Makes Ferret Sick

Question
My daughter and I have an almost 5 month old male ferret. The exotic animal vet will not be in until tomorrow..... I have just read on your site that flea spray is not good for ferrets... I have sprayed our ferret twice on the advice of another website.  Now he has lost some weight, off his feed (Totally Ferret), He has normal stool maybe  bit darker then usual but no urine that i can tell,  and i am having to make him drink using a syringe, he is also having rapid breathing but his gums are moist and lite pink.  He is very lethargic and will raise his head and stare at you.  Help.... I feel like there is a problem.  Any advise on how to help him until tomorrow AM.  Thanks Jamie

Answer
Hi Jamie:

I recommend that you get this little guy into a nice warm bath (the easiest way is in your kitchen sink) and use Johnson's and Johnson's baby shampoo, lather him up really good, then rinse him really well.  Have a couple dry, clean towels handy to give him a nice rub when he is all clean and rinsed.

Unfortunately the poisons are probably already in his system, but by bathing him you can at least remove any remaining spray from his fur.

It is never a good idea to give ferrets a flea bath or use spray on them.  Frontline and Advantage work really well on ferrets. Check with your vet for proper dosage for your ferret.

I think he will at least feel a little better if he has a bath and the spray is removed. He probably feels like he can't breathe without inhaling the stinky spray.  He will probably be okay, but continue to give him liquids - pedialyte is the best (get it at your grocery or pharmacy) and you may want to warm some chicken or turkey (meat only) baby food and offer it to him from your finger. You may have to *force* the first little amount into his mouth a few times until he gets a good taste of it. They never want to eat anything that is new to them. Also, be really careful "forcing" him to eat - make sure he is upright, not laid down on your lap.  And don't 'force' it as much as 'encourage' it...he could aspirate it (suck it into his lungs) and cause much bigger problems.

I hope he will be okay.  You're a good mom to be on top of this and take such good care of him. Hopefully your vet will get you fixed up with the right flea treatment. You also need to treat your house for the treatment to be effective - be SURE the ferret is not in the house when it is 'bombed' for fleas (and check with your vet for safe pesticides to use inside your home). Pesticides can kill small pets and even make us ill if not used properly.

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers