Ear Infection, Ear Mites And Otitis Externa In Ferrets

Ron Hines DVM PhD 4/24/06

Ear infection or otitis is much less common in ferrets than in dog and cats. Infections can be unilateral but are usually both sides. Ear infections in ferrets are almost always secondary to ear mite infestation. The same ear mite, Otodectes cynotis, that infests dogs and cats also attacks ferrets. Mother ferrets generally pass them to their offspring shortly after birth. These parasites inhabit the external ear canal causing chronic irritation and secondary bacterial and yeast infections. When they are passed from one adult ferret to another the contact must be intimate. Dogs can infect cats and ferrets or vice versa. Ferrets with ear mites and ear infections frequent scratch their ears with their rear legs and shake their heads. The mites feed on tissue debris and tissue fluids

Ear mites are almost microscopic in size. They look like cream-colored miniature spiders or crabs. If left untreated they can lead to rupture of the ear drums, and eighth cranial nerve damage. The ears of ferrets with ear mites are often scratched and reddened. A magnifying otoscope lets me see the mites and watch for their movement.

Ferret reaction to ear mite infection is quite varied. Some ferrets do not seem bothered by a few mites while others itch intensely. This may be a sensitivity to mite saliva in certain individual animals. Ear mites also stimulate wax secretion from glands within the ear canal. The color and consistency of the wax also changes becoming almost black in color and thicker in consistency. This wax looks a bit like coffee grounds. With time, many ferrets build up an immunity to ear mites so that only a few are present at any one time and little signs of the infection remain.

The first thing I do to cure this condition is fill the ear canal with mineral oil and agitate it vigorously in the canal with a bulb syringe. At the same time I massage the ear canal from the outside. This loosens and brings up large amounts of blackish earwax. Then I moisten a blunted wooden toothpick and wrap cotton around the tip drawing it out to a point to make a very small , soft-ended Q-tip. Slowly rotating the Q-tip deep into the canal I remove residual wax. Then I generally instill a drop of undiluted permethrin dip (Permectrin II, Boehringer-Ingelheim) placed undiluted deep into the ear canal with a plastic pipette. This is effective in killing all the mites that are present. I suggest that you take your ferret to an animal hospital and not attempt to clean deep within the ear at home. If you can not do this, then forgo using the Q-tip at home because you can easily hurt the pet.

Residual infection responds rapidly to antibiotic and steroid creams or ointments. Medications used in the ear canals of ferrets with ear infections must be very gentle. Ear infections in ferrets, dogs and cats do not transmit easily from pet to pet unless the two animals sleep together or share the same cage.

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