|
|
| 1350 South Fish Hatchery Rd. Oregon, WI 53575 |
|
608-835-0551 |
|
Parasites in Exotic Pets
External Parasites:
- Ferrets
- *Ear mites are common in ferrets and they can affect cats and dogs. They are easily treated with medication from your veterinarian and routine ear cleaning.
- * Fleas are seen in ferrets that live in households with dogs and/or cats. Fleas can cause severe anemia so they need to be treated with safe flea medication. Use products that are approved in cats, for example pyrethrin powders or sprays. Please consult your veterinarian before choosing a flea product for your pet.
- * Mange in ferrets is not seen often but when mites do infect ferrets they cause hair loss and itchiness. Treatment involves either weekly injections or dips.
- Rabbits
- * Ear mites are common in rabbits. The mite that infects rabbits is more specific to rabbits. Besides causing crusting, slightly red ears, it may affect the legs and feet.
- * Fleas are also seen in rabbits that live in a multiple pet household. For treatment, use products that are approved in cats. Please consult your veterinarian before choosing a flea product for your pet. Frontline is not approved for rabbits.
- * Mange is not common in rabbits. When it does occur, symptoms are increased dandruff, dry skin, and sometimes itchiness. This mite is contagious to humans, dogs and cats. See your veterinarian to diagnose this, treatment is injections every two weeks.
- Guinea Pigs, Mice and Rats
- * Mites, lice and fleas can be found on
guinea pigs and mice but mites cause most of the symptoms.
In guinea pigs mites cause severe itchiness usually on the back
legs, the shoulders and along the back leading to a secondary
bacterial infection. This mite may infect humans transiently
as well. In mice, the mites cause a fine dandruff, and
itchiness. This mite is contracted by direct contact with
other mice carrying the mite or infected bedding. Treatment
for both guinea pig and mice is with injections or dips.
Rats do not commonly get mites.
Internal Parasites:
- Ferrets
- * Heartworms can cause disease in ferrets especially ferrets housed outside. Use preventative medicine like heartgard.
- * Gastrointestinal parasites are uncommon in ferrets.
- Rabbits
- * Coccidia, a parasite in the intestines, most commonly infect rabbits. Young rabbits are affected the most depending on the degree of infection. Some signs of infection are weight loss, dehydration, and diarrhea. Diarrhea may be mild to severe, such as mucoid or bloody diarrhea. Some rabbits may die from dehydration or secondary bacterial infections.
- Guinea pigs
- * Cryptosporidium parasite causes diarrhea in guinea pigs. Young weanlings and guinea pigs with compromised immune systems are the most affected. Signs include failure to gain weight, weight loss, diarrhea and death. Cryptosporidium is transmitted by ingestion of infected fecal matter and it can be spread to humans. Thus, it is important to practice good hygiene.
- Mice
- * Protozoa parasites for example Giardia
are relatively common in mice but often do not cause significant
signs.
|
