Message Number: YG3750 | New FHL Archives Search
From: TANSY
Date: 2001-05-19 15:44:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] RE: ivermectin questions


-----Original Message-----
From: AFERRETVET@cs.com [mailto:AFERRETVET@cs.com]
Sent: Friday, May 18, 2001 11:31 PM
To: Ferret-Health-list@yahoogroups.com;
Ferret-Health-list@yahoogroups.com


Hi Alicia,
Yes, ivermectin for treating ear mites is a good thing.
The dose range is 0.2mg/kg up to 0.5mg/kg. High doses
of ivermectin (1mg/kg) are apparently safe.
[TANSY] Dr. Murray I have to add a bit of a caveat to the
high dose. My friend who runs a shelter injected
approximately 100 ferrets at this dosage. Of those
approximately 10 became quite ill with GI symptoms-
vomiting, refusing to eat, apparent nausea. 2 of those
ferrets died from the severity of the reaction. They were
older ferrets, but there was no known other diseases. Not
clear why 10 became so ill from it- undiagnosed eosinophilic
gastroenteritis perhaps?

This is given as
an SC injection that is repeated in 2-3 weeks. Some bad
cases
may even require a third dose (after another 2-3 weeks).
Yes, it can
be diluted with propylene glycol and put directly into the
ears
(Acarexx ear drops). The bad thing about ear drops or ivomec
into
the ears is it is hard to get into the ears because of the
small size of
the ear canal.
[TANSY] To avoid this problem I use a plastic canula on the
end of the syringe instead of a needle- can get in there
without worrying about stabbing the ferret.

Yes, you can even give it orally, but it does taste bad.
Thus the injection is usually the best way to go.
The heartworm preventive dose of ivermectin is lower. It is
only
0.006mg/kg once a month. This is usually given orally.
[TANSY] Can somebody explain to me why the "in ear" dosage
when mixed with propylene glycol (1:20, tx of0.2- 0.3 per
ear) is so much lower than the injectible dosage in the Fox
book? I find this dilution to be ineffective, and was
wondering if it would be safe to increase the
concentration...

Hope that clears up the confusion,
[TANSY] Wellllllllllllllll Thanks anyway.
Jerry Murray, DVM



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