Fleas, ticks, mites and heartworm medications

[Tressie]

Here is a post from yesterday's Ferret Health List (FHL) on medications for these pests:

There is always a need for this info starting about now, so here is a repeat of last year's very inclusive vet post since some will find that one will fill all their needs, and note that the Revolution
dosing for heartworm prevention IS correct since smaller doses don't work for that need:

BEGIN QUOTE
Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2007 18:36:42 EDT
To: [e-mail]
Subject: [ferrethealth] Fleas, ticks, and heartworm products

Hello everyone,

Since it is spring (at least here in the South) and the
beginning of bug season, I thought I would post about the
flea, tick, and heartworm products that are safe for ferrets.
FLEAS: There are several safe and effective flea products.

1) Frontline, Frontline Plus, and Frontline spray are all safe
and effective against fleas. One tube of the cat size per ferret
once a month. With the spray version: 1 spray per pound of
ferret (ie a 2 pound ferret gets 2 sprays) once a month.
Frontline, Frontline Plus, and Frontline spray also kills ticks.

2) Advantage is safe and effective against fleas. One tube of the
small size cat per ferret once a month.

3) Revolution is safe and effective against fleas. One tube of the
cat sized per ferret once a month. Revolution is also called
Stronghold in Europe. Revolution will also kill ticks, ear mites,
prevent heartworms, and deworms each month.
TICKS there are several safe and effective tick products.

1) Frontline, Frontline Plus, and Frontline spray are all safe
for tick control. Again one tube of the cat size once a month.
With the spray: 2 sprays per pound of ferret (ie a 2 pound ferret
gets 4 sprays)

2) Revolution is safe and effective for ticks. Again one tube of the
cat size per ferret once a month.

3) Advantix is sort of safe for tick control on ferrets. Advantix
contains 2 ingredients: imidacloprid for fleas and permethrin for ticks. Permethrin is absorbed thru the skin and into the blood stream. Permethrin at high doses can cause problems to ferrets (and dogs and especially cats).

Frontline would be a safer option because it does not get absorbed thru the skin. It stays on the oil layer on the skin.

HEARTWORMS [Yes we get hearworm in Atlantic Canada] there are several options for heartworm prevention too. Yes, ferrets can and do get heartworms, and heartworms are usually fatal in ferrets.

1) Heartgard for cats, Heartgard Plus for small dogs, and liquid
ivermectin are all safe for heartworm prevention. One chewable tablet once a month or liquid ivermectin orally once a month.

2) Interceptor (Milbemycin oxime) for small dogs (2-10 lbs). One tablet once a month. These tablets are small enough to crush up and mix into ferretone or baby food. They are beef flavored and some ferrets will eat them. Interceptor should also deworm them each month and should control ear mites too.

3) Revolution for cats (5-15 lbs). One tube per ferret once a month. Revolution will prevent heartworms, kill fleas, ticks, ear mites, and deworm each month.

4) Advantage Multi is the newest heartworm product. Advantage Multi contains 2 ingredients: imidacloprid for fleas and moxidectin for heartworm prevention. Advantage Multi will also kill ear mites and deworm each month.
One tube of the kitten size (2-5lbs) once a month is the recommended dose.
Advantage Multi is called Advantage Advocate in Europe.

Hope that helps clear up the confusion,

Jerry Murray, DVM
Dallas, Texas
END QUOTE

Sukie (not a vet)

CAUTION: DO NOT USE ANY OF THE OVER THE COUNTER FLEA PRODUCTS, ESPECIALLY HARTZ. THESE HAVE CAUSED NUMEROUS FATALITIES IN PETS. VETERINARY ASSOCIATIONS HERE IN CANADA AND U.S. ARE WORKING TO GETTING THEM TAKEN OFF THE MARKET.

ALWAYS GET YOUR FLEA/MITE ETC. PRODUCTS FROM YOUR VET. IT MAY BE A LITTLE MORE EXPENSIVE BUT YOU ARE NOT RISKING THE LIFE OF YOUR FUZZKID OR OTHER ANIMAL COMPANION.

Here is a link to a support group for people whose animal companions have either died or came close to it by using over the counter flea products (i.e., Hartz, Sargeant's, etc.): www.hartzvictims.org/

Tressie

[mindy]

thank you for posting that Tressie.

my guys are on advantage but after reading that i may switch everyone to revolution when the advantage is done and keep them all on it for the rest of the flea season.

i have had dogs all my life and can not remember ever having to deal with fleas.

just one question, heartworms would only be a concern for ferrets if they go outside, right? they have to be bitten by a fly that is infected with heartworms right? i don't have much experience with heartworms since it is only recently (last 7-8 years) that heartworms have been a problem in newfoundland! this is actually the first time i have ever had to deal with any sort of preventatives. iorek has been on sentinel since we got him.

[Tressie]

Heartworm is transmitted by mosquitoes that are infected with it.

When victims of Hurricane Katrina were re-located throughout the U.S., the pets they took with them were rarely tested for heartworm consequently spreading the parasite to areas that had rarely seen it.

Since it is in Atlantic Canada the biggest concern would be those living in areas that have higher populations of mosquitoes, like some of our wetlands.

I like Revolution because it covers all the bases. Dr. Benoit weighs each ferret and administers a measured dose specific for the individual. I like that because then there isn't risk of giving too much or too little when there is such a wide variation in weights. For example, Sampson now weighs in at 1.90 kg and Peanut weighs 680 grams. Giving them the identical dose wouldn't make sense.

Back to your original question - if you get a lot of mosquitoes, I would treat prophylactically for heartworm, but if you rarely see one, I wouldn't worry.

Heartworm is nasty in cats and dogs but it kills ferrets because their hearts are so tiny by comparison and the darn heartworm can grow to 12" in length!

Tressie

[Tressie]

More on this topic from today's FHL (March 21/09):

Re: heartworms, ticks, fleas, mites: from last year


It's important to remember that if there are parasites
or a serious parasite risk that if people under-treat
they are opening the door to problems. There seems
to be an assumption that some of these meds are in
high amounts, but in some cases quite a bit higher
amounts have been tested or regularly used without
problems. What matters are sticking with the meds
that vets supply for treatment. Those are the ones
ferrets can have.

Another -- old and hopefully defunct -- confusion
that years ago arose in relation to Frontline happened
because some people didn't realize that the tick in an
Australian study is one that causes paralysis. In that
case the med did not protect from that terrible type
of tick but some people thought the symptoms were
from the Frontline when they were actually from the
tick bites. If they had just read a bit more fully or
even looked up the tick genus they'd have noticed that.
Anyway, that wrong assumption got spread around as
an internet rumor for a while which is a shame because
the tick was easily looked up. In fact, as i recall, one
of its common names is actually paralysis tick if anyone
wants to look it up.

Now, over the years there have been a lot of warnings
about over the counter parasite meds and those warnings
are very well placed. Even from flea collars there have
been ferrets who died from marrow suppression or
other problems.
Sukie C.

[lufta]

I am a bit confused to why you would switch from advantage to revolution when the advantage multi covers the same ticks, fleas, worms mites etc? I don't really care what you give your ferrets but I didn't seem to read it the same way as you did. It does say advantage is fine for ferrets right?? I give my guys the advantage multi and I just want to make sure I am not over looking something??

Thanks

[mindy]

i will switch them to revolution because they are not on advantage multi, they are just on advantage. i am just trying to get something that will protect everyone from whatever could hitch hike in on us or the dog.

[Tressie]

More Fleas 101 - including recommendations for eradicating them; and a comprehensive overview of how each of the medications works :


BEGIN QUOTE

This is carried here with the author's permission:

Date: Mon, 17 Jul 2006 18:00:10 -0700
From: Julie Fossa...
Subject: FLEAS: Facts, Trivia, Prevention and Eradication

It's not uncommon for flea populations to explode five to six weeks
after warm weather gets here, and so do the posts from owners faced with
evicting the uninvited guests. While there are over 2000 flea species,
the cat flea 'ctenocephalides felix' is the species we encounter on our
pets, including birds. Rodents have their own species, however, from
what I could find, the standard eradication methods would be effective
for either.

Fleas are flat, side to side, with hair-like bristles on their bodies
and legs that aid in locomotion. They have three pairs of legs to
facilitate jumping and have an exoskeleton, eyes, and mouths equipped to
suck blood. They can jump 150 times their body length and 9-15 inches
high. Adult fleas cannot survive or lay eggs without a blood meal. A
female will eat fifteen times her body weight in blood daily. Fleas
can be carriers of tape worms if your pet ingests them. If you see one
flea, there may be 100 more hiding in furniture or bedding.

Fleas and butterflies have the same life cycle. They have four stages:
Eggs, Larvae (caterpillar), Pupae (cocoon), and Adult. Completion of
the life cycle can range from 2 weeks to 8 months with an average of 3-4
weeks. However it can stall as long as two years.

While sources vary on the percentages, flea populations are comprised of
50% eggs, 30% larvae, 15% pupae and 5% of biting adults. Another source
claims 34% eggs, 57% larvae, 8% pupae, and 1% biting adults. It doesn't
really matter which source is right, you can still have a big problem if
you only see one hardworking female adult.

A happy well fed female can lay as many as 15 to 20 eggs in a day.
Another other source claims she can produce more, 31- 46. She can lay
up to 600 during her lifetime. If your pet has just 10 females for one
month, they can multiply to an army of over one quarter of a million
strong in various life stages.

Once the female finds a host, she will take two to three blood meals so
she will have extra droppings to feed the young larvae. Feeding periods
last from four to seven minutes. She will lay her eggs two days after
taking her first blood meal. This pattern will continue for her lifetime
which can be from 12 up to 113 days.

Flea eggs are not sticky, like many parasite eggs, so after they are
loosely laid on the hair shafts, they will drop off where the pet
sleeps,
plays or rests. These eggs will then hatch anywhere from two days to two
weeks, becoming larvae. If the eggs are deposited indoors, the larvae
will reside in cracks and crevices in floors, along baseboards, under
rug edges, in furniture or beds.

If the eggs drop off and hatch outdoors, the larvae will thrive in sand
and gravel, preferring moist sand boxes or under shrubs.

Larvae take anywhere from a week to several months to develop. Their
food consists of digested blood from adult flea feces, dead skin, hair,
and other organic matter. Larvae do not live off of fresh blood from
the animal. The larvae will establish a silky cocoon made of pet hair,
carpet fiber, grass cuttings, dust, or whatever is available, for it's
next stage of development. Once in it's cocoon, the pupae will develop
into the adult flea. Fleas usually survive the winter in the larval or
pupal stage. They grow best during warm, moist, temperate seasons.
Optimal temps for fleas are 70 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit, with 70%
humidity.

Adult fleas can emerge or remain in the cocoon until the environment
is right for their survival. They will emerge at the detection of
vibration -caused by the movement of the host, pressure -such as an
animal laying down on them, or presence of heat, noise or carbon
dioxide -indicating a potential blood source. Adult fleas emerge fully
ready to populate their environment. They can hibernate in the cocoon
from two months to one year without feeding.

Given fleas' ability to multiply and survive, how do you protect your
pet
and home? There are several options, beginning with treating your yard
to prevent you or your pets from bringing in a hitch hiker.

Products known as Insect Growth Regulators (IGR) prevent the completion
of the life cycle. This is applied to your yard and is effective for 30
days. There are some links at the end of this post for sites that offer
these products. Also, local pest control companies usually offer this
service.

There are a number of products available to protect your pet. Using
these products will help keep fleas out of your home. These include
Frontline, Frontline Plus, Advantage and Revolution. The Frontline
products and Advantage work on the surface of the skin and oil layer
and are NOT absorbed into the skin. Revolution and Program are absorbed
into the bloodstream. These products not only eliminate fleas but will
eliminate ear mites and skin mites. Revolution will protect against
heart worm and Program is also used to treat ringworm, a fungal
infection. We will look at them individually.

Advantage: Benefits include stops fleas from biting in 3-5 minutes and
starts killing fleas within the hour. The fleas stop laying eggs, so
no eggs means no larvae, no pupae and so no new fleas. The literature
claims 98-100% of adult fleas are dead within 12 hours. New exposures
die within 2 hours and 99% of the larvae are killed within 20 minutes.
Per the FHL archives, the dose is one whole tube of the 'less than 9
pound' cat dose. It is off-label use for ferrets, but safe and
effective.

Frontline and Frontline Plus: Comes in a spot-on and spray. Dose for
the spot-on is one tube of the 5-15 pound cat dose which will provide
relief for 4-5 weeks. Frontline spray is the most economical choice. It
has no expiration date, and the dose is 1 spray per pound of body
weight.
Frontline kills fleas, eggs and larvae for an entire month. It also
kills ticks. It is waterproof even after swimming or bathing. It is
safe to use on puppies and kittens (and ferrets). The Frontline Plus is
gentle enough to use on pregnant or nursing dogs and cats. Frontline is
not absorbed into the bloodstream and is off-label use for ferrets, but
is safe and effective.

Revolution: This product not only deals with the fleas, but will prevent
heart worm when 1 tube of the '5-15 pound' cat dose is used once a
month.
Lower doses did not protect against heart worm. This is a safe and
effective dose for ferrets. For ear mites, the dose needs to be applied
on the back of the head, between the ears, and needs to be repeated
after
3 weeks. Revolution is absorbed into the bloodstream, which is how it is
able to protect against heart worms. Revolution is safe to use at the
age of 6 weeks. Pfizer actually tested this product for effectiveness
on ferrets.

Program: Available in pill form, Program works when the flea bites your
pet. The flea then lays eggs that cannot hatch. The negative with this
product, in my opinion, is that it doesn't give your pet relief from the
fleas very quickly and it takes longer to break the cycle. However,
Program is safe and effective, and is even an effective treatment for
ringworm. It is considered off-label use.

Advantix: This product is NOT safe for ferrets nor cats. Nix the
AdvanTix!

How do you get rid of the fleas you already have in your home? Vacuum
all carpet, floors and furniture. Put a flea collar in the bag or tank
and destroy the contents after each use. This will remove as many fleas
and eggs as possible but it will also stimulate the fleas in the cocoons
that are ready to hatch to emerge due to the heat and vibration. Vacuum
prior to the treatment then again 24 hours afterward. Treat with a
product that is safe for pets. Your vet should be able to recommend a
good product. There are also links below with products that treat fleas.
One website recommended vacuuming every day for 2-3 weeks to expedite
the
removal of fleas. Remember to empty the bag so they can't jump back out!

You need to wash your ferret's bedding, after treatment, before placing
them back into their cage/area. Don't forget to wash toys and other out
of cage bedding or places fleas might hide.

For hardwood floors, vacuum floors and baseboard then spray floor making
sure to reach all cracks and crevices. Make sure the product you select
for treatment is acceptable for use on hard surface flooring.

Preferred products have Permethrin with an IGR such as Flea Fix. Another
excellent product, Knockout E.S., is available through veterinarians or
by Internet, and has a pyrethrin base. This product kills active flea
infestations and keeps infestations from developing. It prevents flea
re-infestation for 7 months.

Carefully follow all safety precautions for protecting all pets during
any chemical treatments. Pyrethrins are natural insecticides produced
by certain species of the Chrysanthemum plant. Other chemicals are added
in to make the pyrethrins more effective.

All information with exception to personal experiences were taken from
the following websites. There are other pertinent posts on the FHL for
those who are interested. Also, purchasing the larger doses of Frontline
and Advantage and using measured drops for the ferrets is an accepted,
vet approved, means of protecting our ferrets from fleas.

References:

Flea info
www.fleasmart.com/life.htm

IGRs
www.fleasmart.com/igr.htm

Advantage
www.nofleas.com/Flea-Life-Cycle.asp

Flea Facts
www.nofleas.com/Flea-Facts.asp

General information
vetmedicine.about.com/od/parasites/f/FAQ_fleacycle.htm

Flea info
vetmedicine.about.com/cs/diseasesall/a/befreeoffleas.htm

Flea biology
vetmedicine.about.com/cs/diseasesall/a/befreeoffleas.htm

Flea Info
www.pest-control-supplies.com/flea_life_cycle.htm

Flea control supplies
www.pest-control-supplies.com/permitherin.htm

Frontline
frontline.us.merial.com/products/index.asp

Flea elimination from your property
frontline.us.merial.com/products/index.asp

K9-Advantix
ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=SG14345

FHL archives search for safe flea products
ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=SG14337

Advantage dose size
ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=SG9830

Frontline spray dose
ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=SG6677

Revolution dose and benefits
ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=SG13107

Revolution for ear mites
ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=SG6676
ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=SG13009

Program information
ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=YG2413
ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=YG1516

Pyrethrins -definition and additives
<http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/pyrethrins-ziram/
pyrethrins-ext.html>

Knockout E.S.
www.entirelypets.com/knockoutes16oz.html

END QUOTE

[christina127]

My Ferret scratches alot..
but he was checked and doesnt have any fleas..etc..

is there anything i can do for him..??

[Tressie]

Hi Christina,

Not sure what you mean by a lot?? Ferrets do scratch regularly especially when waking up to bring their body temperature up.

How old is your ferret?

Tressie

[christina127]

when he first wakes up when he is playing, when hes sleeping he'll wake up and run out of his bed to scratch then go back 2 bed.. his skin goes pink when he scratches..

Marshall Ferret products , are they safe?

[Melanie]

Hey, I noticed that my little guy has orangish spots on his skin. There are no fleas to be seen I searched him all over. He doesn't seem to be scratching anymore than a normal ferret would. I was wondering what it could be. He is currently separated from the other ferts until I figure out what it may be.

[Tressie]

Hi,

There could be a number of different causes - skin parasites, fleas, ear mites, bacterial infections of hair follicles, fungus, adrenal disease, even distemper. Over bathing can also cause this.

How big are the spots? If you scrape one with your finger does it come off? Are they only in one area or all over? Any black spots on the tail?

How old is your ferret?

If its a skin parasite i.e., fleas or mites a treatment with Revolution, which you can only get from the vet should clear them up. You can check if he has fleas (even if you can't see one) by getting a white paper towel and rubbing his fur over it. If there's fleas little black specks will fall on the paper towel and if you wet them they'll turn red.

If its a bacterial infection, you'll need a topical antibiotic solution from your vet.

If its a fungus you will need a antifungal topical solution from your vet. If the spots are in a ring formation - its ringworm, highly contagious. You can get it.

If its adrenal disease, he'll need to be treated for this.

If you are bathing him more than once a month the skin will overproduce oil or sebum, which can cause clogging and produce the spots.

Do you have a ferret knowledgeable vet you can take him to?

Tressie