Grooming: Care Sheet Related

[fuzzymom]

I just wrote up the Grooming Section of my ferret care sheet and I would like you all to review it. Put in bold anything that needs to be changed and tell me how to change it. Put in italics anything I should add in.

Ferrets require very little in the way of grooming. Ferrets should not get any more than one bath per month unless they have gotten into something messy. Too many baths will irritate their skin or make them smell worse than what they did before the bath. Ferret shampoos are safe to use and effective. Ferrets do require nail trimming. A ferret’s nails grow very fast and you will need to check the nails often for over growth. You can use a simple set of nail clippers to do the job. Many ferrets find nail trimming to be unpleasant but it does not hurt them. You must be mindful of the quick and make sure not to hit it when you clip. The quick is a blood vessel in the nail and nicking it will cause pain and bleeding. Keep some (stypic) powder on hand when clipping nails. If your ferret is squirming when you are trying to cut his/her nails, you can scruff them to make them calmer and to hold them in place. This will make nail trimming easier on the both of you.

[Heather]

You can also drop some ferrettone or whatever you use as liquid treat onto their bellies...you then lay them on your legs or on a table and while they're licking it up you can trim their nails. This makes a two man job (scruffing) a one man job Except for one ferret shelter mom who scruffed them with her teeth and cut their toenails that way...No..I haven't tried it..there's something about fur between my teeth that bothers me a little.
ciao

[weloveourweasels]

Nov 18, 2008 0:22:33 GMT -5 fuzzymom said:

I just wrote up the Grooming Section of my ferret care sheet and I would like you all to review it. Put in bold anything that needs to be changed and tell me how to change it. Put in italics anything I should add in.

Ferrets require very little in the way of grooming. Ferrets should not get any more than one bath per month unless they have gotten into something messy. Too many baths will irritate their skin or make them smell worse than what they did before the bath. Ferret shampoos are safe to use and effective. Ferrets do require nail trimming. A ferret’s nails grow very fast and you will need to check the nails often for over growth. You can use a simple set of nail clippers to do the job. Many ferrets find nail trimming to be unpleasant but it does not hurt them. You must be mindful of the quick and make sure not to hit it when you clip. The quick is a blood vessel in the nail and nicking it will cause pain and bleeding. Keep some (stypic) powder on hand when clipping nails. If your ferret is squirming when you are trying to cut his/her nails, you can scruff them to make them calmer and to hold them in place. This will make nail trimming easier on the both of you.

I do not reccomend bathing more than once or twice a year unless they get messy.

You can also you corn starch or flour in place of the syptic powder. Works the same.

I use a boars bristle brush during non shedding season to stimulate oil production and fur growth. Mine are all incredly soft and shiny from this. I try to brush them every other day just for a minute, as long as they can hadle it. During shedding season I use a rubber curry cat brush daily so the fur doesn't become ingested or get allover the place.

[fuzzymom]

A year? Mine get bathed once a month and they handle that fine? Why just one or two a year?

[pear2apple]

Because of exactly what you said! It causes the skin to dry out and over production of oils. I have bathed my ferrets with shampoo once so far, after owning them since February. There is no need to bathe them more often with soap because of the stripping.

However I would say: Ferrets shouldn't get more than one bath at max every few months, unless they get into some dirty.

Water baths about once a month are fine to help loosen dirt but not strip away the oils.

I also use a Creme Rinse during shedding season to help work out the loose hairs to help them, however it doesn't dry out their skin like soap does.

I second the Ferretone on the tummy nail trimming approach. Also you should brush your ferrets as well to help keep their coat clean and help during shedding season.

[fuzzymom]

Ok, I will make sure to add those in and then re-post it so you can see the final grooming section.

[fuzzymom]

Ferrets require very little in the way of grooming. Ferrets should not get any more than one water bath per month unless they have gotten into something messy. Too many baths will irritate their skin or make them smell worse than what they did before the bath. If you want to give your ferret a bath using ferret shampoos, only one bath ever few months is needed. Ferret shampoos are safe to use and effective. Ferrets do require nail trimming. A ferret’s nails grow very fast and you will need to check the nails often for over growth. You can use a simple set of nail clippers to do the job. Many ferrets find nail trimming to be unpleasant but it does not hurt them. You must be mindful of the quick and make sure not to hit it when you clip. The quick is a blood vessel in the nail and nicking it will cause pain and bleeding. Keep some (stypic) powder on hand when clipping nails. If your ferret is squirming when you are trying to cut his/her nails, you can scruff them to make them calmer and to hold them in place. This will make nail trimming easier on the both of you. You could also put a drop of Ferretone on the ferret’s belly. While they are busy licking the treat off, you can quickly and safely trim their nails.