Didn't someone say that ear mites are VISIBLE to the naked eye? Around Feb. or so? Maybe not... I've looked down into that brownish ear goo a hundred times without seeing ANYTHING move. Sure, they've been scratching their ears -- just like they scratch everything else -- but not enough to make you think that something's chewing on their parts. I kinda let things go. Heck, ferrets don't use their ears anyway. It turns out that both of my guys were mite infested, and so were the two I'd babysat the week before. Try explaining THAT to the owners. The little buggers just don't show many signs of illness, or rather, none that I *readily* see. (Bruce & Charlie & Pam[s], I ain't willin' to pick apart stools. Don't know what to look for, not a good idea, wouldn't be prudent at this juncture.) POINTLESS: 1) Who gave whom the mites. POINT: 1) Your eyes are better than mine. 2) Your mites are larger than mine. 3) There's some combination of the two. 4) How long before one's acquainted with these #$^& ferret problems? We're still not sure who gave the mites to whom, but it doesn't really matter, does it? The creature swimming around under the microscope doesn't belong in anyone's ear. The vet barely stopped me from chucking the slide into the furnace. The ferrets really *love* the eardrops, BTW. (Tresaderm, 1 week 2x/day on, 1 off, 1 on.) Woody shakes-and-bakes, acquiesces, and protests by shredding something important. Arlo's pretty calm until freed. Then he bolts under the hutch, licks his chops, and attacks anything less than 500 times his body weight. After crashing into the fireplace hearth a couple times, he gives *me* the "what in the WORLD has gone wrong with YOU?" look. Do *yours* give you that look? I don't blame either of 'em ... or any of you. I blame me. Time to read the FAQ. [Posted in FML issue 1191]