Message Number: YG12560 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Angela Espinet
Date: 2002-04-17 23:10:00 UTC
Subject: Re; your opinion please---

Hello Chris,
To start with I have seen many ferrets die from
Heartworms and it is not a pleasant death! We had
several ferret's that came to the shelter, who had
never been outside, but unfortunately managed to
escape and they were brought to the shelter!
After a time they were found to have heartworms,
apparently in the short time they were outside they
must have been bitten by mosquitos! This happened on
many occasions and therefore the danger of getting
heartworms is ever present, whether you let your
ferrets out or not, they could escape, or an infected
mosquito could enter your home!
Consequently you may want to consider getting your
ferrets ALL checked when you take them in for their
'annuals' and perhaps your vet may give you a break on
multiples! If one of them should contract heartworms
it will be very costly to treat it and the treatment
is not always successful!
There are heartworm preventatives that are less
costly than the one you mentioned and quite simple to
give, such as ivermectin, which can be mixed by your
vet to be given orally each month, why don't you ask
him about it! As they say 'prevention is better than
cure' and it is very true in this case!!!---Angela.

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