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Why are my ferrets scratching so much if they don't have fleas?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Small Animal | Ferret | Male | 2 years and 7 months old

I have five rescue ferrets but too of the boys keep scratching. That don't. Have fleas

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on January 21st, 2020

Hello. A ferret that is pruritic ( itchy ) without signs of ectoparasites ( fleas, lice ) is adrenal gland disease until proven otherwise. It is not uncommon for very itchy ferrets to have no obvious signs of hair loss. Occasional, cutaneous mast cell tumors can be very pruritic. These are almost always benign in ferrets & removal is curative. I would encourage you to have your ferrets evaluated by a veterinarian & have some diagnostic tests done to find the underlying cause of the itching. Then appropriate treatment can be started. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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