If you own a heavy silver ferret then you should make sure you take him in for routine wellness visits with your local vet. Request a heartworm test at these visits as well. If your ferret is heartworm negative you can start him on a monthly heartworm prevention program. If he tests positive, aggressive treatment will need to be started. A prevention program can be put into place once your ferret is cleared of all heartworms. Heartworm disease is typically caused by a worm capable of invading the heart, lungs and blood vessels of your ferret. This can cause lung disease and heart failure. Signs of heartworm disease in ferrets can appear rapidly and aggressively due to their size. Symptoms most often include respiratory distress, a cough, fatigue, rapid breathing, and pale blue or muddy colored gums. Call your veterinary clinic North Phoenix, AZ immediately if your ferret is displaying any of these symptoms.

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