Hi all,
 
I'm very new to the FML, and this is my first post.  My name is Linda, and I
have been owned by ferrets for 4 years.  I currently have 4 fuzzies - Scamp
is 6 years old and I've had him the longest, while Shreddy, Casper and Waddy
are all between 2 and 3 years, and have been with me since November, 1997.
All 4 ferrets were rescued from abusive homes, and I love them all to bits.
 
Anyway, my question is to do with controlling/irradicating fleas.  I live
in Victoria, BC and do believe we are the flea capital of Canada!
 
I recently asked my vet about using flea control products on my 4 ferrets -
specifically using the once a month oral treatment called "Program".  I have
always been against using any kinds of flea control drugs on my ferrets, and
have opted for just flea combing them when they come in from their daily
walks.  Unfortunately with flea combing, I end up missing a few fleas and
after a while, my house becomes infested (as well as the ferrets).  When
this happens, we "bomb" the house with flea killing chemicals (with ferrets
outside for the day, of course) and flea shampoo the ferrets.  Also, last
year, Scamp ended up losing most of his belly-fur because he seems to be
allergic to fleas.
 
I asked my vet about the safety of using "Program", and she said that it has
been used very safely and successfully on ferrets.  Our local ferret breeder
has also used it successfully for the past 2 years.  I intend on calling a
couple more vets before making my final decision, but feel that if this
product is safe, it's may be better to use it than to "bomb" the house with
chemicals.
 
Any comments about this issue are appreciated either on the FML, or my
e-mail address is [log in to unmask]
 
Thanks in advance.
 
Linda, Scamp, Shreddy, Casper & Waddy
[Posted in FML issue 2292]