Library

Small Mammals + Parasites

  • Common conditions of pet ferrets include diarrhoea, intestinal foreign bodies, parasites, heart disease, and various kinds of cancer.

  • Common conditions of pet rabbits include snuffles, gut stasis, abnormal caecotrophs, parasites, dental disease, uterine cancer, and sore hocks.

  • This disease is caused by a microsporidian protozoan parasite, Encephalitozoon cuniculi. It is an intracellular parasite that preferentially colonises the kidneys, eyes and brain.

  • Fenbendazole is used to control roundworms in dogs, cats and rabbits and some types of tapeworms in dogs and cats.

  • Gastrointestinal disease in ferrets is all too frequent - from dental disease, through gastric foreign bodies to persistent diarrhoea. Some are readily prevented while others require considerable diagnostic investigation and long term treatment.

  • During the summer months, pet rabbits may be affected by maggot infestation. Different terms are used for this but fly strike is a common one.

  • This is caused by the Myxoma virus which is widely distributed in the wild rabbit population. You might argue that your rabbit never comes into direct contact with animals from the wild and so does not need protection.

  • Permethrin is an antiparasitic agent prescribed by your veterinarian for control of fleas, ticks, lice, and blowfly larvae (fly strike) on rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, and mice.