Bad Tick Problem

[happyferret123 13]

Hiya, New to this website. Having bad problem with Ticks, my boyfriends mum accidently let the ferret out the cage and he went running of for 5 hours, when we found him later he was covered in about 200 ticks. All types- hedgehog, sheep, etc. so we took him to the vets, they don't specialise in ferrets but said that there were too many to pull out one by one, so sprayed him with the frontline spray but because it is so alcohol based they didn't spray his face or ears where most of them are (many around his eyes) so it hasn't worked he's still covered in them. Bellow is a message from the http://www.bada-uk.org website saying how NOT to remove them,

 

Leaving behind the tick's mouth parts can result in septic abscesses which, in severe cases, can lead to septicaemia.

Compressing the tick's abdomen can cause its stomach contents to be squeezed back into the blood stream of its host.

Puncturing the body of the tick can spill its stomach contents, which may contain infective organisms.

Causing injury or stress to the tick can result in it regurgitating the blood meal that it has ingested. This may contain infective organisms and result in the host contracting a serious infection/s.

Stress to the tick can result from applying solutions such as alcohol, aftershave, oils / butter, paraffin or petroleum jelly. It can also result from applying a freezing agent or burning the tick with a cigarette, lighter, or match head.

These methods might be successful in getting a tick to release its grip, but they can also significantly increase the chances of disease transmission.

 

so can't apparently do any of these, are there any natural solutions in removing them? I love my ferret to bits and would be so upset if he didn't survive from this please get back to me asap.

Thanks

Lou

[andy s410c 59]

Did they not sell you tick pullers??The frontline will take 24hrs or so to kill the ticks but you'll still have to remove them.I ferret sheep land & i frontline my ferts but they,ll pick the odd one up around the eyes,inbetween the toes.If you get tick pullers you'll have 2 sizes use the small one around the eyes,ears & other arkward places,just neck the fert & get as many as possible however some may be to small & you'll have to wait till they grow.Check the National Ferret Welfare Society website to find the nearest ferret friendly vet to you & they'll keep you right or do the job for you if your not up to it....

[stubby 175]

get yourself a set of tick pullers

 

 

 

I presume the vets sold you a can of frontline, did they show you about spraying on latex gloves your wearing, then massaging into the ferrets coat?

doing this will shift the majority of ticks, those around the ears/eyes can be dabbed with a cotton bud,sprayed with frontline, a day or two and they should be clear, dont forget to thoughly clean hutches and or courts of all bedding,woodchip otherwise they will survive and just get back on board

[ulverston moocher 60]

I use frontline spot on on my ferrets and never seem to get many just the odd one now and again wich I just pull with the tick removers. spray is meant to be more cost effective but I do 2 ferrets per pippet dont have to worry about spaying face and lugs with spot on.

[happyferret123 13]

I don't have that sort of tick remover I have the one below.(on that website link) Is that no good? No didn't sell me those tick removers. Everyone recommends this vet in Stow, but I'm not so sure myself, the vet I used to go to in Cheltenham for my cat which was lovely but they don't deal with ferrets. Anyone know a good vet in the Gloucestershire area?

http://www.supercoolpets.com/archives/2009/06/trix_tick_remover_system.php

The vet didn't give me a can of spray just squirted the ferret 10 times and charged me £40 for it! Didn't put any around his face.

Thanks for all your replies!

Lou x

[longnetter 32]

That tick remover looks OK....the idea is to get all the tick out and that can take a bit of practise....for 40 quid I would have wanted all the ticks removed,the vet hasn't done you any favours there I think the easiest way is frontline on a cotton bud....you gave a list of reasons why I shouldn't do this(sounded a bit like a clever sales pitch to me) but I've never had any trouble

 

ATB

[Leeview 791]

....you gave a list of reasons why I shouldn't do this(sounded a bit like a clever sales pitch to me) but I've never had any trouble

 

ATB

a very clever sales pitch 8 can's and 2may's to scare you

OK we once found a sandy hob out on a grouse moor caught in a fenn by the back leg, we removed it from the fenn obviously its leg appeared broken but turned out just badly swollen,now this hob was covered in ticks. My mate took him home and gave him some oral antibiotic(baytril)1.5 I called round straight from work the next night there was nt a tick to be seen and he recovered but always had a limp

So the Baytril had gone through his system including his blood which the ticks feed on and they baled out was the only conclusion we could come up with

Y.I.S Leeview

[longnetter 32]

....you gave a list of reasons why I shouldn't do this(sounded a bit like a clever sales pitch to me) but I've never had any trouble

 

ATB

a very clever sales pitch 8 can's and 2may's to scare you

with

Y.I.S Leeview

 

Exactly what was going through my mind

[j davies 8]

Hiya, New to this website. Having bad problem with Ticks, my boyfriends mum accidently let the ferret out the cage and he went running of for 5 hours, when we found him later he was covered in about 200 ticks. All types- hedgehog, sheep, etc. so we took him to the vets, they don't specialise in ferrets but said that there were too many to pull out one by one, so sprayed him with the frontline spray but because it is so alcohol based they didn't spray his face or ears where most of them are (many around his eyes) so it hasn't worked he's still covered in them. Bellow is a message from the http://www.bada-uk.org website saying how NOT to remove them,

 

Leaving behind the tick's mouth parts can result in septic abscesses which, in severe cases, can lead to septicaemia.

Compressing the tick's abdomen can cause its stomach contents to be squeezed back into the blood stream of its host.

Puncturing the body of the tick can spill its stomach contents, which may contain infective organisms.

Causing injury or stress to the tick can result in it regurgitating the blood meal that it has ingested. This may contain infective organisms and result in the host contracting a serious infection/s.

Stress to the tick can result from applying solutions such as alcohol, aftershave, oils / butter, paraffin or petroleum jelly. It can also result from applying a freezing agent or burning the tick with a cigarette, lighter, or match head.

These methods might be successful in getting a tick to release its grip, but they can also significantly increase the chances of disease transmission.

 

so can't apparently do any of these, are there any natural solutions in removing them? I love my ferret to bits and would be so upset if he didn't survive from this please get back to me asap.

Thanks

Lou

not seen ticks for years me dont no if its that they are cleaned out every day and jays in hutch but when i take them out and get them home they are all wiped down with detol on a tea towel before putting back in hutch weather it works or not dont no but like i said never have them

[happyferret123 13]

Yeah I clean out the hutch everyday with antibacterial pet cage spray and wash all the bedding. I just think he was quite unlucky must have gathered all the ticks in the field! I decided to just remove them by hand the poor guy! Managed to get most out and now have moved him to a bigger hutch hopefully no eggs will be around by doing this and keep checking everyday for any more. Living back in Bournemouth now so will take him back to the vet as there is a ferret specialist nearby to check all gone and hopefully buy some frontline for future problems. Thanks for all your advise. Don't know what you meant by clever sales pitch ?!

Lou x

[Ideation 8,216]

Bottle of front line spray, onto some rubber gloves and massage it into the fur/skin all over.

[longnetter 32]

[ Thanks for all your advise. Don't know what you meant by clever sales pitch ?!

Lou x

 

Hi Lou "clever sales pitch" don't do it this way or that way,do it my way it only costs?? see what I mean? put the frighteners on and then sell a 'safe' alternative Ask a double glazing salesman when his next price increase is due....always without fail it'll be next week :D