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Post by wmella85 on Jul 16, 2008 11:00:06 GMT -5
Okay, i know that ferrets are itchy animals. however, since Baxter (he is 1 yr 2 mos.. ) has started this raw diet (they are now eating nickel sized chunks with very little soupie), he seems to be super super itchy!!! His scratching has seemed to triple. Lets see, we dont have fleas, they havent been outside in a long time due to heat (unless its just a trip to the mailbox, then they are being carried), and the house is kept at 70 degrees, no switch in laundry detergent, cleaning products are the same, they had a bath on the first of july with baby shampoo. is there anything that i am missing? i just gave him a good look over (he wasnt thrilled), ruffled all his hair, smelled him (smells like grapes, sorta), skin looks good..... im at a loss. is itchyness indicative of disease? or am i just being parinoid??
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Post by desertram on Jul 16, 2008 13:42:25 GMT -5
it could be the baby shampoo as it is not made for the ferrets skin and coat i dont know just my 2 cents on it sometimes ours get ichy also but it goes away with added vitiamins in there water i'm sure someone will help u out more good luck and nice looking babies u got there
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Post by Forum Administrator on Jul 16, 2008 16:37:52 GMT -5
My guesses is that he needs more fat in his diet. What type of chicken are you giving? Boneless, skineless breasts? If so switch to chunks of raw chicken thigh (with fat and skin). This will up the fat content and help him be less itchy! I think once you get him 100% switched to raw (where you are feeding raw meaty bones, organs, and a variety of raw foods, I think you will see that itching disappear )
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Post by wmella85 on Jul 16, 2008 20:58:11 GMT -5
okay, i was thinking this. but i was not sure. ive been using the johnsons&johnsons for over a year. is there some sort of medical reason that i shouldnt use it? or is this just hearsay.
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Post by weloveourweasels on Jul 19, 2008 1:58:52 GMT -5
This is quoted from the book Ferrets from the Animal planet line "Never use human baby or adult shampoos, which are much too harsh"
question in book
"Does my ferret need a bath?" answer
"While good hygiene is important, it is equally important not to bathe your ferret too frequently. Bathing too often will result in dry, flaky skin and a dry, coarse coat."
I used to bathe once a month but read on several ferret sites they really only need one once or twice a year. I opted for the once a year.
In my personal opinion I use organic shampoo and conditioner for myself which some people may think oh my that is expensive I can't afford it but in all honestly You use WAAAAAY less because it is more affective. SO I use organic or all natural shampoo and everything else for my ferrets. Currently I bought a bottle of Thera neem pet shampoo and I have given about 6 baths with the bottle 5 times for each of the girls and once for Mr. Bean when I brought him home cuz he had poop on him and have given both of the dogs baths 2 or 3 times with it. (They weigh 65 and 70 pounds) The bottle is still 3/4 full. There are 12 fl oz in the bottle. It is Gentle & Soap Free Made with certified Organic Neem Contains no harsh chemicals or synthetic thickeners. Lauryl Sulfate Free,Paraben Free
It is very thin like a liquid consistency so you need to use less of it.
But I wish the bottle would be used up already because I want to buy fancy ferret shampoo and creme rinse conditioner. Because I have a thing with using the shampoo that goes with the conditioner even for myself. I might just buy it anyways and use the rest of the thera neem for the dogs.
But like Giuli said he may not be getting enough EFA essential fatty acids (Omega 3) (Omega 6 is the bad fatty acid)
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Post by wmella85 on Jul 29, 2008 1:51:44 GMT -5
it was suggested to me to feed the kids lard. what does everyone think?
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Post by weloveourweasels on Jul 30, 2008 2:05:11 GMT -5
I would say no since lard is nothing more than fat drippings from cooked meat. Like Giuli said just add more (raw) fat and skin in his diet. That should help.
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