Answer

A scratch that breaks the skin, when it comes from an animal like this, will require a hands on examination and a course of specific antibiotics. The vet may decide to administer an immediate injection in the office and give you an oral med for a week to ten days (or longer).

You're doing the right things with the attempt to clean the wound out and a very thin layer of Neosporin may be helpful, but the bacteria often carried in the claws of a ferret (or cat for that matter) can enter the system and cause complications that get more expensive (and dangerous) the longer treatment is delayed.

These days it’s always nice to know there’s help if we need it:

American Animal Hospital Association
http://www.aahahelpingpets.org/
The AAHA Helping Pets Fund helps with veterinary care for sick or injured pets, including those abandoned or with owners experiencing financial hardship.

Angels 4 Animals
http://www.angels4animals.org/
Services range from financial aid to complete treatment to those pets and pet owners in need.

Care Credit
http://www.carecredit.com/
A credit card company for health care, including veterinary care.
From $1 to over $25,000, they offer a plan and a low monthly payment to fit comfortably into almost every budget.

God's Creatures Ministry
http://www.all-creatures.org/gcm/help-cf.html
Fund helps pay for veterinarian bills for those who need help.

Help-A-Pet
http://www.help-a-pet.org/home.html
Efforts focus on serving the elderly, the disabled, and the
working poor.

IMOM
http://www.imom.org/
Dedicated to insure that no companion animal has to be euthanized simply because their caretaker is financially challenged.

The Pet Fund
http://thepetfund.com/
The Pet Fund is a registered 501(c)3 nonprofit association that
provides financial assistance to owners of domestic animals who need
urgent veterinary care.

Ask your local Humane Society and/or ASPCA for help; and don’t forget to contact your local pet stores. Oftentimes they have rescue orgs working out of them or with them and can offer you a list of numbers to call. Someone should have options in place for kind hearted people like you doing the right thing.

Expert:	S. August Abbott, CAS
Pos. Feedback:	99.6 %
Accepts:
Answered:	1/24/2009

Certified Avian Specialist

Cert. Avian Specialist; Int. Assoc.Animal Behavior Consult; Pet Ind. Joint Advisory Council; author