Archived Articles : Pesticide Warning 2
Pesticides
One of our members had a tragedy recently when she suffered a plague of fleas in her house and yard. Despite Frontline and baths, the fleas persisted so she followed the advice of a store employee and bought and sprayed Cooperex in the yard and cages.
She had been told that the product was absolutely safe for all animals, including ferrets, once it had dried. Because the weather was hot the sprinkler system was often used to cool the yard and this may have lead to the reactivation of the Cooperex. Whatever the reason, three beautiful ferrets lost their lives and left the owner devastated. To add insult to injury, the fleas continued to be a serious problem, until a professional pest exterminator was employed to fix the problem.
What can we learn from this? When using any type of pesticide, it would be doubtful that even a professional pest exterminator would know what effect it would have on a ferret. Given the ferrets’ close-to-the-ground physique and their penchant for getting under, or in, anything possible, they are particularly susceptible to any residues or fumes. It would be best to err on the side of caution when dealing with any parasitic plague and be guided by a ferret knowledgeable vet. If flea bombs, poison sprays or the like need to be used it would be best to board your ferrets out until the danger is over.
While flea shampoos have limited success, Frontline and Advantage are very effective against fleas. Revolution is effective against fleas, ear mites, sarcoptic mange and heartworm.
Shirley
First Published inIssue 99 (March / April 2001)