When a ferret develops heartworms, it may be very difficult to treat the situation. While it is always challenging to help an animal recover from a parasite, ferrets are so small that their size presents further complications when undergoing any sort of medical procedure. It is important to stay on top of routine veterinarian examinations to help catch signs of heartworm at their start, rather than further along in their development. At first sign of any illness within your ferret, be sure to talk to your veterinarian to help your ferret recover as quickly and smoothly as possible.

For many cases of heartworms in ferrets, a veterinarian will recommend medication. There are a number of different types of medication for heartworms. Your veterinarian’s decision will be based on your ferret’s individual body combined with how far along the heartworms have progressed. It is difficult to kill the heartworms quickly, because your ferret runs the risk of having them enter other organs within the body, so your veterinarian will most likley move cautiously with the treatment, to prevent shocking the body and having the treatment actually make the heartworm condition more serious for your ferret.

Along with the medications, your ferret will most likely also undergo treatment to lessen the conditions caused by the heartworms. For example, your veterinarian will most likely need to drain fluid that accumulated throughout the heartworm infestation. Addtionally, you will probably need to restore optimal levels of pressure within the lungs and heart.

Some veterinarians will opt for a surgical procedure if the heartworms are too far along for medication. However it is difficult to conduct such a surgery on ferrets, so it is not a very common procedure.

It is really best to take measures to prevent heartworms in your ferret all together. As soon as you get a new ferret, talk to your veterinarian about preventative medications. There are many different types of heartworm medications available including both oral and topical varieties. Together with your veterinarian, you can work out the best plan of protection for your ferret.