There have been a couple questions recently about ear mites, excessive ear
wax, and smelly ears.
 
Normal ear wax is reddish brown.  The amount of ear wax produced under
normal circumstances can vary greatly from ferret to ferret.  If cleaned
regularly, ears should not have a strong odor.
 
Use an ear cleaner that's safe for ferrets or kittens.  Try warming it in
your pocket before putting a few drops in the ferrets ear.  Wipe excess wax
with a cotton swab.  If you don't have ear cleaner, moisten the cotton swab
with spit or warm water--never use a dry swab.  It may take several swabs
to remove the wax.  Your ferret will probably hate the ear cleaning worse
than baths or toenail clipping!
 
If there is a strong odor or lots of reddish brown ear wax, it could be
a sign of infection.  Your ferret will need antibiotics to clear the
infection.  Severe untreated infections can be dangerous!
 
If the ear wax is gritty black, you are probably dealing with ear mites.
Ivermectin or tresaderm are common treatments.  Untreated ear mites can
lead to infections, see above.
 
Linda Iroff, whose Buttons had an ear infection a couple months ago.
Oberlin OH
[Posted in FML issue 3126]