My ferret's feet are burned and scabbed. What should I do for him?

From the pictures, the burn does not appear too bad, so you can likely manage this at home. The biggest worry with burns is the possibility of infection. In order to prevent this, you should clean foot with soap and water everyday. You should also gently scrub the foot to remove dead tissue. It would be best to keep the wound bandaged with silver nitrate cream if possible. However, applying and keeping a bandage on a ferret is extremely difficult. You can try this by applying a bandage similarly to the one demonstrated on this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLc-7CdluuE If it's not working, then don't bother and just ensure that the foot is clean. If the foot starts to swell, turn red, black or blue, or has pus oozing from it, then you will need to take Wyatt Erp to the vet for treatment. I hope that helps and he gets better soon.

Burns are generally very painful. When they occur on the feet, sometimes we can make them comfortable with bandaging, but it sounds like Wyatt may need some pain medication. I often find that I need to give my burn patients antibiotoics as well, so I would have your veterinarian examine Wyatt's feet to determine if they are looking infected or painful and decide on medication for him. Good luck! Thanks for using Boop by Petco.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Bandit. I would bathe just the affected areas with Dawn dish soap. It is good at the stripping the fur and will hopefully strip any remaining wax off of him. You do not want him to ingest the wax. If he becomes lethargic or refuses to eat or drink, he will need to see his veterinarian. Good luck!

Poor Tilly! If the wounds are severe, she should be seen by a vet right away for bandaging, antibiotics, and pain medication. You can apply a small amount of SSD (silver sulfadiazine) ointment to the paws - an E-collar or "cone" will help keep Tilly from licking her paws and causing further trauma. I hope this helps and that all is well with Tilly!

It sounds like the biggest concern is Binker's foot. A swollen infected foot can lead to a body wide infection, or sepsis. I would not wait on this, but would encourage you to have him seen by a veterinarian quickly. It is possible it is swollen from trauma rather than infection. Your veterinarian may want to perform some x-rays. Once a diagnosis has been established then they may consider using antibiotics and /or pain medication that is safe for ferrets. The spot on his back can be evaluated at the same time and determine if any treatment is needed for the skin. I hope Binker improves soon. Thank you for using Pet Coach.

Thank you for using Boop by Petco! It's difficult to determine what Rusty's scab can be without a picture. I would be happy to provide a consultation and take a look at some photos. If you notice that the spot becomes larger, changes shape, or starts bleeding, you should have him examined by a vet as soon as possible. Your vet can take a sample from the region to determine exactly what it is.

Thank you for using Boop by Petco! From the photo, I can see a small ulceration or reddened area on one of Leilani's feet. This can be due to a pressure sore and a secondary infection. These issues can be caused by inappropriate flooring in the cage such as wire. Leilani should have a solid floor cage with plenty of bedding. Heavier animals are predisposed to these types of wounds from the increased pressure on the feet, so Leilani may need to cut down on treats if she is overweight to help the condition resolve. You should have Leilani seen by a vet as soon as possible, as she may require antibiotics if an infection is present. In the meantime, you should keep the area clean and apply a small amount of SSD (silver sulfadiazene) ointment to the area to promote healing. I hope this helps!

This is probably due to an allergy, although it could also be infection or mites. First of all, in order to rule out skin parasites, you will need to treat with a high quality flea treatment, then ask the vet to perform a skin scrape - this might reveal an infection or a mite infestation. If all of those came back negative, the next step is to treat the allergy symptomatically and try to discover the cause of the allergy. Three main type of allergies are usually affecting pets: food allergies, flea and parasite related ones and environmental type (allergens coming from trees, pollens, dust etc etc). Some medications can be given by the vet in order to repair any possible skin lesions (like steroids and antibiotics). Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

I'm sorry but there is really nothing you can give orally to him. You are not likely to find a dose small enough of medication to give him. It is best to just get him to the vet as soon as you can for an exam. He is uncomfortable for sure but I think he can handle it for another day. You can try a soak of apple cider vinegar (NOT WHITE VINEGAR) that may help. One teaspoonful of apple-cider vinegar in a sinkful of rinse water. You don't need to rinse it off.

There's nothing over the counter that you can safely give to your ferret for discomfort. If you can, make a small e-collar (cone) and place it on Bear to prevent rubbing or pawing at the eye. Ideally, he should be examined by your veterinarian as soon as possible. Potential eye injuries should be considered veterinary emergencies.