>From:    Roy and Ruth Roberts <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: WORMS
>Has anyone ever had a ferret who had worms?  I'm not sure but I think my
>ferret has some type of worm.  I have seen it twice in her feces and it
>is white but not long and stringy like the dog worms I've seen.
 
Sounds like it could be tape worms.  They look sort of like segmented rice
and about the same size.  It's important that if you take in a stool sample
to your vet, that you include one of the segments as well, since the eggs
this type of worm lays are not always at the proper part of their life cycle
to be found in conventional fecal flotation tests.  Tape worms are gotten
thru contact with fleas carrying the larvae or by the ferret eating
something with them, such as a mouse, so they are not directly transferrable
from one pet to another.  It is still possible that it is round worms, which
are the longer worms you described seeing from dogs that have just broke off
smaller, so have your vet also check for those.  Either way, don't wait too
long to have it checked out, both because of health reasons for your fert,
but also to keep them from spreading further.
 
Good luck :)
Tracy, Cooter and Talyn
 
PS: If anyone has a spare prayer, say one for Cooter, it's getting harder
for him to breath and I fear (but pray not!) that his time may be getting
close to leave me for a better world than this.
[Posted in FML issue 2315]