Ferret Care Tips on Hygiene

My name is Slinky

HYGIENE: Ferrets require routine maintenance to keep them happy and healthy.

It’s best to trim their nails at least every 2-3 weeks. Nail trimming is important because a long nail will get caught in fabrics causing a painful injury as they struggle to get free. To clip their nails, put some Ferretone on their tummies and let them lick it off. Meanwhile you can clip away while they are preoccupied with the Ferretone. This works very well and is a nice way for you and your ferret to spend some quality time together. Make sure to cut above the red vein in their nail. To be safe, always cut conservatively. A special scissors type nail trimmer for cats or birds is available in pet stores but the standard human fingernail trimmer works well too.
It’s best to bathe ferrets every two months or so. Bathe them under a faucet in a sink with the faucet continuously running at lukewarm temperature. Use a tearless baby, cat or ferret shampoo to avoid eye irritation. Avoid the strong deodorizing ferret shampoos. These are unnecessary and are uncomfortable to the ferret. It is very important to rinse thoroughly. Rub them dry in a fluffy bath towel starting at the head. Lots of coaxing, reassuring words and patience helps the bath process go a lot smoother.
Bathing a ferret too often will dry out their skin. This will cause them to secrete more oil to make up for the oil you keep washing off, and thus they end up smelling even more than if you’d leave them go without a bath. It’s much better just to change/wash their bedding often (at least weekly). Giving baths without changing the bedding will defeat the purpose.
Ear cleaning is best done monthly or after each bath once they have dried and settled down. Ferrets do not like to have their ears cleaned! To control them you must hold them by the scruff or back of their neck (like a mother would carry their young). This is called “scruffing” and, unlike most adult animals, this will NOT hurt the ferret. When “scruffing” use 3-4 fingers and the side of your thumb to spread out the pressure. When “scruffed”, most ferrets will hang there totally relaxed. Then, take a Q-tip moistened with cat/ferret ear cleaner or clean water and put it into their ear canal and carefully wipe it out while rotating it. It may take a couple Q-tips to get each ear clean. Examine the Q-tips under a magnifying glass to check for ear mites. They are tiny white objects that you will see waving their arms. If you see mites, follow-up with some ear mite drops in the ears.
A bit of Ferretone or a raisin following ear cleaning helps soothe the upset feelings. You can also tell them how sorry you are for having done such a terrible thing to them and praise them for being soooo patient with you.

Contact Information:
Dookie’s House Ferret Rescue & Shelter
Pat Elmore. Director
4230 Piedras St.
Cocoa, FL 32927
407-314-4432
email
Be sure to include the keyword ferret in your email.
Click here to visit their website