My ferret is extremely itchy, scratching, and losing fur. How can I help?

Question

What is the best thing to use for extremely itchy ferrets? I have 2 and they scratch constantly; I know they are itchy animals, but this is way too much scratching (I’ve owed ferrets before) they're getting scabs and losing fur from scratching so much. I’ve tried washing them, but I also know that you’re not supposed to bathe ferrets too often bc it dries the skin out and makes them even itchier, oilier, n muskier... so I’ve tried not to bathe them much, but it still doesn’t seem to be helping.

Andrea M. Brodie, DVM · Accepted Answer

It is important to find out why they are itching first before putting anything on them. They could be suffering from a mite infection, a fungal or a bacterial infection. All of these cause serious itch and each of these is treated differently. Please take your ferrets to your vet for an exam to determine why they are itching. Mites itch terribly, the skin gets scabby and fur gets lost. Mites are easily treated with avermectin injections. A fungal infection may need oral medications or antifungal shampoo or both and a bacterial infection is usually treated with oral antibiotics.

My ferret is extremely itchy, scratching, and losing fur. How can I help?

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