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Post by tygrlilies on Sept 25, 2021 23:39:57 GMT -5
I am a new ferret parent to Bonnie (2 lbs) and Clyde (3 lbs). Recently, I noticed that Bonnie was scratching more than usual but couldn’t find anything then last night, to my horror, I found 2 fleas on her. Our local pet store doesn’t carry the Ferret Advantage BUT they did have Advantage Cat/Kitten shampoo. I’m worried about bathing Bonnie. It’s meant for kittens 12 weeks and older (3-4.5 lbs. I’ve read many of the threads but couldn’t find one specific to petite babes and this shampoo. Has anyone used this flea & tick shampoo on ferrets? More specifically, on ferrets under 3 lbs? Thanks in advance.
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Post by Corvidophile on Sept 26, 2021 7:16:18 GMT -5
A: if one has fleas, they both have fleas, Clyde just may not be reactive to their bites. Treat both. B: the shampoo should be safe, but it won’t control the problem long term. Just kill the fleas on them at the moment and the shampoo residue will work as a weak poison afterwards. You need to order drops. Advantage II for small cats works, but only for about twenty five days for me instead of the advertised 30. You can buy it online at Chewy if you’re in the US.
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Post by tygrlilies on Sept 26, 2021 20:24:49 GMT -5
Thank you, Corvidophile! I had all intentions of treating both. I’ve done rescue for 21 years and when it comes to fleas, I’ve seen some pretty horrific things. Anytime I see a flea/tick in home, I lose my mind and treat everything and everyone (appropriately) in my house but I’m new to these wonderful little creatures. I didn’t want to bore people with all of the other details but my entire house has been treated and they were the last 2 because I was nervous about it. They were quarantined to one area of my home (everything was cleaned again after their baths). Bonnie did awesome, Clyde - not so much. I chose to add some of the shampoo to the bath water (huge rectangular Tupperware container full with a pitcher of clean water for rinsing- not the entire tub)because I knew he was going to go berserko (which he did). They slept well last night and there was minimal scratching. When I removed them to dry them (separate baths) I could see a few fleas in the water, already dead. (Hallelujah). You’ve recommended Advantage II; what about Advantage Multi or the ferret Advantage? My cats get Revolution and I love it but I’ve heard vets will make you sign a waiver to have Revolution Plus prescribed to ferrets (due to it being off label use). Also, any recommendations on how to get Clyde to be calmer about baths? (Other than exposure to it). I have no intentions of bathing them on the reg. I’ve read it’s, actually, bad for their skin/fur (washing off natural oils and such). Bonnie loves to swim in the tub/relax in the hot tub (the hot tub is just a big Tupperware bowl filled with ferret temp water).
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Post by Corvidophile on Sept 27, 2021 5:24:12 GMT -5
Regular Revolution doesn’t have the best efficacy against fleas, don’t know about Revolution Plus. I can only speak to Advantage II, didn’t try the others. You can give soapless baths frequently, just no shampooing them unless necessary as a drug application or to get, like, last night’s gravy out of their fur because they went into the trash can, lol. The water by itself won’t strip the oils off their coat and skin. Don’t know how to get a ferret used to the water properly myself, I give mine a foot soak once a month in an inch of water prior to cutting nails to soften them up and he never got used to it. To actually soap him up, I find it much more calming to hold him in the shower under the shower head to rinse than to try and bathe him in standing water.
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Post by eclipso on Sept 27, 2021 8:58:29 GMT -5
You can also use flea combs and a vegetable oil spray, like olive oil. The vegetable oil loosens fleas from the hair and makes it easier for them to fall out with the comb, the bath, or just running around. The flea comb is a very fine comb that filters fleas from the skin. It's very effective against eggs and fleas. You can comb and then dip it in alcohol to remove the fleas. Another thing to do is to dip their paws in olive/ vegetable oil. If fleas are in water, they drown after 24 hours. In oil, they drown in 6 hours.
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Post by unclejoe on Sept 29, 2021 10:28:47 GMT -5
We've used Advantage II for a long time. In Florida, Revolution had little to no effect, as confirmed by our vets, who said that had complaints from multiple clients. You can use any gentle shampoo to kill fleas, just leave it on for 5 minutes. When we bathe ours, maybe 2x/yr, we follow with a conditioner.
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Post by caitmonster on Oct 1, 2021 17:22:36 GMT -5
We've used Advantage II for a long time. In Florida, Revolution had little to no effect, as confirmed by our vets, who said that had complaints from multiple clients. Well that explains why I keep finding fleas every now and then--it was what was prescribed by my vet, but I keep having to flea comb Rocky down. I'll look into Advantage. Does it protect against heartworm like Revolution?
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Post by Corvidophile on Oct 1, 2021 17:46:03 GMT -5
Advantage II does not protect against heartworm, but Advantage Multi does. Don’t know if it’s safe for ferrets, but they do make a cat version, so it may be.
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Post by caitmonster on Oct 12, 2021 8:49:41 GMT -5
I looked into Advantage Multi through my veterinarian's Rx online portal, and this is what it says:
"The only FDA-approved product indicated for ferrets for the treatment of fleas and prevention of heartworm disease*
*Advantage Multi for Cats (0.4mL) is indicated for ferrets that weigh at least 2 lbs."
Perfect!
Thanks for the suggestion.
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