Ferret Ear Infections

Causes

• Ferrets generally produce yeast and bacteria, along with a large amount of reddish ear wax in their ears. Ear infections in ferrets can be caused by the buildup of either too much bacteria or yeast. This can happen when the ears become dirty and are not properly cleaned, or when mites are present. The presence of ear mites in the ear canal causes extreme discomfort for the ferret. The ferret will then scratch and itch the ears and introduce new forms of bacteria and/or yeast to the ears from its hands. This buildup of bacteria and/or yeast can cause the natural ear wax to become impacted. This type of impaction will lead to infection.

Ear Mites

• The same ear mites that are found on other household pets also infest ferrets. They commonly are passed down from the mother, but can be gotten from other pets. These mites live in the ear and change the color and consistency of the ferret's ear wax to something that looks like coffee grounds. This can cause an ear infection; however, the mites may leave once the ear is infected because it will longer be a hospitable environment for them.

Symptoms

• A ferret may get an infection in one ear, but it will most likely be in both ears. A ferret's ears will appear sore and red, and the ferret may scratch them regularly. It is also possible that your ferret will have a strong body-odor-like smell that does not go away with washing.

Treatment

• The infected ear of the ferret will respond to common antibiotics, steroid creams and ointments. The dosage and time that the medication will take to cure the infection depends on the type of medication your veterinarian prescribes. There are a variety of antibiotics on the market that will kill the bacteria and/or yeast that is found in the ears of ferrets. Most medications should be administered multiple times per day for a period of seven to 10 days. It is possible that a long-term infection can permanently change the shape of the ear canal if not treated early enough. The sooner the infection is caught, the less time it will take to fully treat.

Prevention

• Frequent ear cleaning will help prevent ear infections in ferrets. It is important not to use the common utensil for human ear cleaning, a cotton swab, to clean a ferret's ear as the ear canal is too small and it can cause the ear wax to become impacted. There are several commercial ferret ear solutions a veterinarian can recommend to use, though a toothpick with a small amount of cotton at the tip is a good tool. Scruffing, which is the grabbing of a ferret by the nape of its neck and let it freely hang in the air, a ferret prior to cleaning is needed to ensure that it won't move around and injure itself. Scruffing a ferret causes the ferret to become passive and submissive. If mites are present, a mite medication can be inserted into the ear to kill the mites. The medication is typically in liquid form, and the recommended dosage can just be dropped into the ear.