Grooming your ferret may seem unnecessary, but it’s essential to your ferret’s health. Grooming can help you detect any illness or injury your ferret might have. Your ferret’s skin will be smoother and less itchy after being taken care of.
Grooming also helps you develop a bond with your ferret while helping you learn to recognize its normal behavior.
Here are the things you should look after if you plan to groom your ferret.
How Often Should You Bath Your Ferret
You might be surprised how often you should bathe your ferret, but it all depends on its diet and activity level. Make sure your ferret is old enough for a bath. Most ferrets are ready for their first bath at around four to six months of age
Ferrets need regular baths to stay clean, but generally, you shouldn’t bathe them more than once every two weeks.
Bathing too frequently can dry out their skin and hair, which can result in skin irritation (read.. how to take care of a ferret).
However, if your ferret is dirty, you should bathe it more often. To determine how often you should bathe your ferret, first look at its diet.
Ferrets who eat a lot of dry food that doesn’t have oils or fats can stay clean for longer than those that eat a lot of canned food, which is high in fat and can make them greasy.
How To Dry Your Ferret After Bathing It
Don’t just “throw” your ferret into a cage after bathing. It will get cold as it dries on its own. Cats and dogs are also often dried after a bath with a towel.
However, when you dry your ferret, keep in mind that it has a different body type than your cat or dog.
The smaller the animal is, the less heat it can store.
Drying with a towel after bathing is an important part of making sure your ferret is warm and comfortable after its bath.
Some ferrets love to get blow-dried. Make sure to introduce the blowdryer to your ferret beforehand!
Another method is to leave them some clean and dry towels – let them dry themselves while snuggling with the towels (read.. why ferrets make good pets).
Brushing: Keeping Your Ferrets Coat in Perfect Condition
Your ferret’s coat needs to be brushed regularly to prevent knots and matting. The best way to brush a ferret coat is to get a short-bristled brush and a comb.
The two most important areas to brush a ferret coat are the head and the tail.
Brushing your ferret’s coat is an important aspect of grooming and maintaining your ferret’s health. Keeping the coat clean and free of mats and tangles helps ferrets stay in better health, as it helps remove dirt and dander that can cause infections and skin allergies.
Especially when your ferret is shedding you want to prevent it from overly ingesting it´s own hair – we don´t want those nasty hairballs!
Try to get your ferret used to the procedure. Make it a quick and frequent habit. Ferrets are not like cats or dogs, and most of them won´t stay still for long.
Ferret Flea Treatment For Your Ferret
It’s not uncommon for ferrets to have fleas. Indeed, your pet ferret may have fleas right now (let´s hope not).
The good news is that you can easily treat ferrets for fleas using a variety of methods.
There are several safe and effective over-the-counter flea treatments for ferrets, and it is best to choose one that is safe for ferrets, kittens, cats, dogs, and rabbits.
Trimming Your Ferrets Nails
Managing the nails of a ferret is one of the hardest parts of owning a ferret. Even after the initial trimming, you have to trim them regularly.
The easiest tools to use are special metal-free nail trimmers designed for ferrets. You can find these at most pet stores.
Be sure to give your ferret a treat to distract him as you trim.
Nil clippers used for cats are also an alternative for your ferret. Make sure not to cut into the quick. Luckily the majority of ferrets have light nails, which makes the quick easily visible.
read.. Did you Know about Angora Ferrets?
If you happen to own a ferret with dark nails, extra caution is mandatory. It will hurt your ferret if you cut the quick. It is possible that you even see some blood coming from the “nail.”
So act with extra precaution. If you are unsure and have never done this before, we recommend going and seeing the vet.
Grinding Your Ferrets Nails
Did you know that you should trim your ferret’s nails regularly? Long nails don’t allow his feet to rest fully on the ground, which can cause joint and foot problems.
Moreover, ferrets have thin and sharp claws that often get snagged in fabrics and soft surfaces. To let your pet enjoy the most, you should shorten and shape his nails every two to three weeks.
Consider using a nail grinder to trim, smooth, round, and polish his claws. Grinders are the safest device for indoor pets, as they shorten nails in quick bursts, enabling you to stop before hitting any innervated part. For a better experience, LuckyTail nail grinder allows you to achieve professional results with less effort.
It’s considered the most pet-friendly nail grinder to use at home due to its ultralight sound and vibration.
Cleaning your Ferrets Ears
If you own a ferret, you need to keep its ears clean. Ear wax buildup is a common problem for ferrets, much like it is for humans.
A quick note here: the only way to be 100% sure that your ferret’s ears are clear is to have it seen by a veterinarian.
Dirt, wax, and ear mites can get in there and create quite a mess. Fortunately, cleaning a ferret’s ears is fairly easy.
Your ferret’s ears will need to be cleaned at least once a month, and you should take your ferret to the vet for a more thorough cleaning and inspection once every year.
Buy an ear cleaning solution from your vet or pet store. The application should be fairly easy – a few drops in the ear – a little ear massage – that is it.
Your ferret will try to get rid of the liquid in its ear and will start shaking its head. Beware! This can get quite messy!
The external parts of the ear are easier to be cleaned. Use a cotton-tipped swab and the cleaning solution. Never, never push a swab into your ferret’s ear canal.
Do I Need to Brush My Ferrets Teeth?
It’s a question that’s often posed to veterinarians, particularly by pet owners who have just adopted a new ferret.
The answer? Yes, your ferret should have its teeth brushed at least once a week. Blanket statement time: I know what you’re thinking. “My ferret has teeth. Shouldn’t that be enough?”
If only it were that easy. But it’s not. Like humans, ferrets can develop periodontal disease and cavities.
Unlike humans, ferrets can´t brush their teeth and have few other self-care habits that help keep their teeth clean.
Also, read.. How Ferrets show that they love their owners
