Summary of Drugs Used in Ferrets
John R. Dinsdale, BVMS MRCVS
(An update to this list can be found at Health Matters 4)
Please note all the drugs listed below are used with no current licence for their use in ferrets in Great Britain. There use should therefore be at the discretion of the veterinary surgeon who dispenses the drug and with the consent of the owner. All dosages are as listed in reputable publications or from personal communications. Any drugs used at dosages common to the cat will be described as, "as per feline". I hope these details below will be of help in bringing together information that is at present scattered in many publications, it is of course not exhaustive. Any information any one else may have will be gratefully received. Please note the attending veterinary surgeon is best placed to advise on the severity of disease and the likely treatment required.
VACCINE
At present we use Nobivac as it is licensed for use in Scandinavia and efforts are being made to do the same in the UK. See Becky Delanoy at Intervet for details. There is no indication at all to use parvovirus or hepatitis vaccine in the ferret, the only requirement is for the distemper fraction, if possible use the vaccine with the least other fractions in it e.g. Intervet DP. So far we have encountered no problems with this use. There is one licenced rabies vaccine in the USA for ferrets should it ever become necessary.
HORMONES
Proligestone 0.5ml per ferret SC (may need to repeat in 6 months).
Human Chorionic gonadotrophin 20 IU IM.
Buserelin (Receptal) 0.25ml IM
ANAESTHETICS
Sedation / Light anaethesia
Ketamine hydrochloride 25-40 mg/kg IM
Rompun(Xylazine) 4 mg/kg IM - WITH CARE
Hypnorm 0.3mg/kg IM
Saffan 10 mg/kg IM
Pre medication
ACP and Temgesic as per feline
Atropine sulphate 0.05 mg/kg SC
SURGICAL ANAESTHESIA
Ferrets are easy to tube even without a laryngoscope no local anaethesia is required
Halothane
Isoflurane (drug of choice)
Ketamine / Xylazine 25 mg/kg ketamine & 2 mg/kg xylazine IM - WITH CARE
Ketamine / ACP in a 10:1 ration 35 - 40 mg/kg ketamine IM
Ketamine / Diazepam 25 mg/kg ketamine & 2 mg/kg diazepam IM
Antisedan at half the volume of xylazine given does seem to rapidly reverse its actions. (SC)
ANALGESIA
Temgesic (buprenorphine) as per feline
INTERNAL PARASITES
Fenbendazole 0.5 mg/kg single dose
Mebendazole 50 mg/kg twice daily 2 days
Ivermectin 0.5 - 1.0 mg/kg SC repeat in two weeks
EXTERNAL PARASITES
Ivermectin 1.0 mg/kg SC
Frontline as per feline
Advantage (Bayer) as per feline
ANTIBIOTICS
Amoxycillin 25 - 35 mg/kg BID or TID
Synulox 25 mg/kg BID or TID
Ceporex 25 mg/kg BID or TID
Tribrissen 30 - 50 mg/kg SID or BID
Chloramphenicol 50 mg/kg per os
Genticin 4 mg/kg per os BID
Most other antibiotics as per feline
STEROIDS
Prednisolone 0.5 - 2 mg/kg
Medrone V as per feline
CARDIAC
Lasix 0.1 ml per os per ferret ( can use paediatric syrup as per feline) SID / BID
Inderal as per feline
Digoxin as per feline
ANTI FUNGALS
Ketaconazole (nizoral) 50 mg per ferret per day per os - watch renal function
Grisovin 25 mg/kg
MISCELLANEOUS
Blood 10 ml with 1 ml sodium citrate can be repeated
Cytoxin 1/4 of 25 mg tablet once every 3 weeks per os per ferret (not on same day as vincristine)
Vincristine 0.05 mg to 1kg - 0.1 mg over 1 kg IV
Lectade 25 ml/kg TID
Vitamin B 5 mg SID SC 3 days
Katalax 1/4 teaspoon EOD
Chlorphenhydramine 1 - 2 mg/kg up to TID
Benedryl 0.5 - 2.0 mg/kg BID
Pepto Bismol 0.5 ml/kg BID
Cimetidine 10 mg/kg TID
Insulin 0.5 - 1.0 IU/kg SID
Lysodren 50 mg/kg SID 7 days then every 3rd day
Dopram as per feline
Most ear and eye preparations are used as in cats there appears to be considerable drug resistance in the topical treatment of ear mites. Ferrets are easy to handle and sample and very rewarding to treat. The jugular vein is by far the easiest for blood sampling and the least painful.
Intramuscular injections can be given in most large muscle masses and seem least painful in the dorsal lumbar musculsture. Intravenous fluids can be given via a catheter placed in the jugular vein and fixed with super glue before taping I use an infusion pump to control the flow rate accurately in ferrets now.
J.R.DINSDALE BVMS MRCVS