How do you get rid of ticks on ferrets?

Question

I found a ferret last week and can't trace her owner.

Today she has a large quantity of ticks on her shoulders and head.She must have picked them up when she was wandering free.

She also appears to be pregnant.

I tried to remove them by hand but she is so squirmy.

Any ideas how to kill them?

Answer 1

You need to be careful with ferrets.  They can be quiet sensative to the commercial flea/tick stuff for cats and dogs.

Fleas and ticks breath through their skin.  When I had a flea problem on my ferrets, I used vegtable oil on them.  I coated the ferret completely, nost to tail, making sure they were soaked with vegtable oil right down to the skin.

Then I let the ferret romp and play in the bottom of my bathtub (they are squirmy, aren't they?).

After a while all the dead fleas would fall off.  I  did it again about 10 days later to get all the eggs that hatched.

Shampooing off the vegtable oil can be quiet a job.  Veggie oil does not shampoo off very well.  It's ok though, any left on is completely non toxic for the ferret to l**k off.

When my dog had ticks, under his chin/neck area where he couldn't l**k, I applied thick glops of Vasaline to the bodies of the ticks.  They fell off after two days.

If you are pulling them off by hand, you need to use tweezers, and grasp ONLY the head of the tick (very hard to do on a squirmy ferret).

I'm not sure how much you know about ferrets.  Did you know that female ferrets come into heat, and STAY IN HEAT UNTIL THEY ARE PREGNANT?  It's very, very hard on their bodies.  Female ferrets really MUST be spayed.  The cost to spay a female ferret is about $120 (sometimes more).  

If you are thinking about keeping the mama ferret, or any of her offspring, please be sure to keep this in mind.  She will REALLY need to be spayed after her kits are weaned.  If you keep any female kits, they too need to be spayed.

Contact your local humane society, and see if their is a ferret rescue group in your local area.  They will be able to give you good advice and tips on helping this little mama ferret out.

Thank you for being so kind, and helping her out.

~Garnet

Permaculture homesteading/farming over 20 years

Owned ferrets for about 10 years, had seven at one time.

P.S.  Ferrets are like potato chips....it's hard to have just one!  (Just a warning for you!)

You are calling them jills and hobs....are you in the U.K.?  (Very few folks in the U.S. call them by their proper names)

Answer 2

You should be able to bathe him in a shampoo for ticks and fleas that is safe for a kitten and whilst bathing him, you should be able to remove all the ticks or fleas.

Washing all his bedding and cleaning his cage would be essential to remove any other ticks or fleas present.

but you will need to call your veterinarian for advice on what products are safe for your ferret  

Answer 3

Take her to a vet or a pet store like PetSmart.Ask them what medicine would be best.I think lice medicine would work.Try lice medicine first.If that doesn't work,take her to a vet.