Dear Tina, Thank you for your timely post and, once again, bringing up a very important topic: Heartworms in ferrets. (No doubt you'll also be receiving a response from Mike Janke, our Club Secretary, down in Miami....) YES!!!! Ferrets are susceptible to heartworms....and ALL of Florida is "high risk" (as are most of the Southern states). Particularly, the various pets in South Florida (ferrets/dogs/cats) because mosquitos are active year-round (the northern states at least have a yearly die-off of mosquitos during the winter months). Please visit Mike's Ferret Health Care website: http://www.miamiferret.org/FHC Although the site is primarily for Adrenal/Insulinoma information, please go to the subsection on Heartworms. There is article was written by ferret specialist, Deborah Kemmerer, DVM, who is our Branch Shelter vet up here in NE FLorida (Dr. K's hospital is just outside Gainesville, and there is a link to her website at the Heartworms article). Please be warned that we have posted graphic necropsy photos from one of the ferrets surrendered to our Shelter. THOMAS had quite a heavy load of heartworms; he was such a sweet boy and his early, needless death could have been prevented if his previous owners had just put him on heartworm preventative (which costs only pennies a month for ferrets!). Due to the high risk of heartworm infestation even up here in northernmost Florida, our Shelter goes to the additional expense to do a bloodtest for heartworm detection on every ferret we receive; and, sad to say, many ARE heartworm positive. Another very sad story happened last month---I received a call from a man wanting to know why I thought his ferret was "panting" heavily (like a dog)...once I questioned him I found that he kept SASSY in an outdoor cage and she'd never been to a vet. I suggested it "may" be heartworms (as well as flea induced anemia as he said, "Yes, she had fleas" and "Yeah, her gums were almost white) and strongly encouraged him to take her to the vet--if only for a humane ending to her obvious distress. Nah, he didn't want to spend any $$$$ on a ferret; said he figured she'd "just die in a day or two anyway". Well, one of my terrific volunteers who lives quite a bit closer to this guy than I do, called him back and offered to take SASSY from him and get her the veterinary care she so desperately needed. He was seemingly happy to be "rid of her". Well, SASSY was still panting heavily when she was surrendered, only to die within two hours of being at my volunteer's home...before he could even get her to the vet. Dr. Kemmerer did a necropsy. And, sure enough, Heartworms! And not just "a few".....poor little 3-year-old SASSY's heart was PACKED FULL of heartworms....her entire left ventricle was so full it was hard to imagine any blood being able to get through! Dr. K said she'd NEVER seen that many heartworms in a ferret's heart (and Dr. K has seen thousands of ferret patients over the years)...Dr. K estimated probably five to six times what you will see in THOMAS's photos on Mike's website. (I took photos; hoping to add to the current photos on the website, but these didn't come out clear enough. DARN!) Each of our Shelter ferrets is on monthly preventative; and anyone adopting from us is strongly encouraged to continue the treatment. Please read Dr. K's copyrighted article on Mike's website....and encourage your vet to do so, too. Her article is quite informative. All it takes is ONE MOSQUITO to get into your house during the year; and if your ferrets spend time with you outdoors, all the MORE reason to protect them from a potentially "fatal" mosquito bite. Why gamble with your ferret(s) life? Your veterinarian is on the right track to help your ferrets live long, healthy lives. I encourage everyone to get your fuzzies on heartworm preventative now! For The Ferrets, Barbara Ludt, Director NE Florida Branch/South Florida Ferret Club & Rescue, Inc. Visit our Shelter website: http://www.miamiferret.org Ferret Health Care website: http://www.miamiferret.org/FHC Help raise Funds for our Shelter ferrets--just click on this link: http://www.iGive.com/html/ssi.cfm?cid=3664&mid+29938 [Posted in FML issue 2677]