Allergies Animal & Insect Allergies Coping With a Ferret Allergy By Daniel More, MD Daniel More, MD, is a board-certified allergist and clinical immunologist. He is an assistant clinical professor at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine and currently practices at Central Coast Allergy and Asthma in Salinas, California. Learn about our editorial process Daniel More, MD Medically reviewed by Medically reviewed by Corinne Savides Happel, MD on September 02, 2020 linkedin Corinne Savides Happel, MD, is board-certified in allergies/immunology, with a focus on allergic skin disorders. She is a part-time assistant professor at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Learn about our Medical Review Board Corinne Savides Happel, MD Updated on January 27, 2021 Print It is possible to be allergic to any furred pet, including ferrets. Ferrets are mammals, and they are closely related to minks. The domestic ferret, Mustela putorius furo, is among the furred pets that some people keep in their homes in the United States. Nadja Schilling / EyeEm / Getty Images There have been several published reports describing ferret allergies in people who owned ferrets. Although it is fairly rare to own ferrets—the prevalence of allergies may be similar to other pet allergies, although this has not been studied. Allergic symptoms would likely include symptoms of allergic rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, and asthma. Some people have reported skin itching and rashes, such as urticaria, where the ferret touched their skin. Diagnosis There is a commercially available specific IgE ImmunoCAP test for ferret allergy. In rare cases, an allergist may create a homemade extract for skin testing using any available suspected ferret allergens. This type of testing has not been validated and should be used with caution. Causes While ferrets are pets in some American households, there is little known about allergic reactions to these animals. The few studies performed on ferrets show that the proteins causing the allergies are found in the hair, urine, feces, and bedding material. Urine from male ferrets may contain the most potent allergen. There are numerous proteins that can cause ferret allergy. Albumin, a blood protein, appears to be an important one. Albumin, while mainly found in the blood, may also be found in urine, feces, saliva, and hair/fur. Who Is At-Risk Anyone who has a history of hayfever or asthma may be at risk for developing an allergy from exposure to ferrets. It appears that people with cat allergies, particularly those allergic to cat albumin, may also be allergic to ferrets. Treatment For people with ferret allergy, avoidance of ferrets is the mainstay of therapy. Allergy medications are likely to help control symptoms, but in many instances, symptoms may persist if the person continues to keep the ferret indoors. Ferret owners may not want to part with their pets, despite the symptoms they endure. Short of getting rid of the pet, it may be possible to reduce allergy symptoms by following various avoidance measures. It is likely that similar avoidance measures to those used for managing a cat allergy would be useful for people with ferret allergy. There are no specific allergy shots given for treating ferret allergies, but allergy shots using cat albumin may be helpful in some circumstances, due to the cross-reactivity. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. González de Olano D, Pastor Vargas C, Cases Ortega B, Perez-Gordo M, Moral Darde V, Vivanco F, Bartolomé B. Identification of a novel 17-kDa protein as a ferret allergen. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2009 Aug;103(2):177-8. doi: 10.1016/s1081-1206(10)60175-5. PMID: 19739435. American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology. Pet Allergy. Updated April 23, 2018. Codina R, Reichmuth D, Lockey RF, Jaen C. Ferret allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2001;107(5):927. doi:10.1067/mai.2001.114704 Díaz-Perales A, González-De-Olano D, Pérez-Gordo M, Pastor-Vargas C. Allergy to Uncommon Pets: New Allergies but the Same Allergens. Frontiers in Immunology. 2013;4. doi:10.3389/fimmu.2013.00492 Additional Reading Codina R, Reichmuth D, Lockey RF, Jaen C. Ferret Allergy. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2001;107:927. Nugent JS, Whisman B, Hagan LL. Ferret Allergy: Identification of Serum Specific IgE to Albumin with Cross-reactivity to Cat. J Allergy Clin Immunol. 2003;111:S324.