Ticks have to be attached for at least five hours and more like 24 hours before any disease is transmitted. So, if after each outing you promptly remove every tick, your ferrets should be fine. Ticks suck blood out when they first attach. When they get "full" the regurgitate some back into the host...that is when they spread the disease. The proper way to remove a tick is to use tweezers...get as close to the skin as possible, almost toucking the skin, grab the mouth parts of the tick and pull straight out. Do not twist them or use alcohol, nail polish remover, matches, etc. All of those things will "frighten" the tick and it will immediately regurgitate, defeating the purpose of removal. Also, don't grab them by the body...you will squeeze the possible diseased blood into the ferret. There are other tick borne diseases besides Lyme - Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Ehrlichiosis are two. Since ferrets are prone to anaphylactic reactions from injections, I would suggest that prevention including tick removal is the best method of control. Should the ferrets become febrile or you suspect something is amiss within two weeks of tick removal, take the ferret to the vet and explain the history of ticks. Doxycycline is the current drug of choice for Lyme's disease, ehrlichiosis and RMSF. I used to let my ferrets run loose. I had put extensions on my closet doors to prevent them from crawling under. One day, the closet got part way open...perhaps one of the ferrets pushed in the center. Well, Clover tried to squueze herself between the crack the two doors created and was crushed. When I came home and found her with such agony on her little face, what else could I do but blame myself. I was heartbroken and scared to let the others run loose in fear that my "ferret-proofed" house was not really safe. Their curiosity prevails above their own safety and I believe they have the potential to turn any situation into a dangerous one. Sorry so long...but if anyone wants more information on ticks, I just completed a three week rotation on zoonotic diseases and tick were a bigg emphasis! My email is [log in to unmask] [Posted in FML issue 1600]