RE:  Ferret FAQ --- I know, I know....  I've been busy.  :(  Hopefully
I'll have time soon.
 
RE:  Fleas - O.K., I'm writing this intending it to be a section of
the FAQ, so if anyone has any suggestions, let me know.  (I admit
that fleas aren't one of my areas of expertise - I generally
have very little problem with them, so any suggestions are
appreciated - also, any suggestions of other brands from other
experienced owners, and send a list of their active ingredients
as well)
 
Fleas -
 
If your ferret becomes infested with fleas, you have treat both the
ferret and the house (especially the ferret's bedding).
 
For the ferret, make sure to only buy products that are marked as
safe for *kittens*, not just cats.  Ferrets have a lot of body
surface for their body mass, so they cannot tolerate very strong
flea products.
 
I recommend:
        Shampoo - Flea Stop Shampoo for dogs, cats, puppies, and
                kittens.  Active ingredient is d-Limonene.  Made by
                Holiday.  (from pet stores or wholesale catalogs)
        Spray - Adams Flea and Tick Mist (make sure it's the one
                safe for kittens!).  Active ingredients are
                Pyrethrins, Piperonyl butoxide, N-Octyl bicycloheptene
                dicarboximide, and Di-n-propyl isocinchomeronate.
                (from vets or wholesale catalogs - poss. pet stores)
 
Both d-Limonene and Pyrethrins are very safe to use with ferrets, so
other products that have these as the active ingredients should be
safe.  Stay away from grocery store brands.  If you cannot find the
above brands, ask your vet what a good brand would be.
 
For their bedding, take all their bedding and launder it when you
wash the ferret.  Put clean bedding back, and spray it lightly with
a ferret safe flea spray.
 
Sometimes for light infestations you can handle it by diligently
keeping the ferret and it's bedding flea-free.  But for worse
infestations you are going to have to treat the whole house.
 
{note - I generally don't have serious flea infestations, I could
use some help from experienced ferret owners as to what is safe
to treat your house with - I alway just spray the room with the
Adam's spray}
 
A non-toxic, but controversial, method of treating the house is to
sprinkle 20 mule team Borax into the carpet.  I've had success with
this but have never attempted it on a serious infestation.  It
works by dehydrating the fleas.  (I sprinkle it lightly over the
carpet, work it in and leave it there - others claim that it works
if you vacuum it up as well)
 
- Nancy
 
Nancy Hartman       Internet - [log in to unmask]        GEnie - n.hartman4
President, Delaware Valley Ferret Club | CIS Grad Student, U. of Delaware
      ***  Caregiver to Percy, Bree, & Popcorn, the ferrets  ***
  "We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals" - Kant
 
[Posted in FML issue 0500]