GROOMING



Ears and Nails

The hardest part of grooming a ferret is the care of the ears and the nails. When you are cleaning the ears, it is best if the ferret is held by a helper. The helper should use one hand to grasp the ferret around the shoulders, forelegs, and chest in a firm, but gentle, manner. The helper should hold a bottle of Ferretone in his or her other hand and use the Ferretone to distract the ferret while the ear cleaning procedure goes on. The tiny ears of a ferret are cleaned with cotton tips and peroxide. Dip the tip of the cotton tip into the peroxide and squeeze off any excess. Then carefully place the cotton tip into the outer ear area and gently wipe out any debris and excess wax.

Cutting the nails is another important grooming task. The nails of a ferret should be cut just short of the vein. Look at a ferret's nails and you will see the red vein running down inside the nail. A cat-type nail cutter is the proper size nail clipper to use on your ferret. However, you can also use a regular nail clipper used for humans, but remember to turn the clipper sideways so it won't snip the toe when you trim the nails.

After doing the ears and the nails, you have completed the hardest grooming tasks and are ready to comb out any loose hairs on your ferret. Use a soft nylon brush to comb out the loose hairs. Brushing also stimulates the skin of the ferret.

Chloe likes to dip her head under the running water for fun.

Bathing

Now, you are ready to bathe your ferret. A double sink works best. Fill both sinks with lukewarm water. Wet and shampoo the ferret in one sink using a tearless ferret or cat shampoo. Then rinse the ferret. Use the second sink for a final rinsing to be sure that all shampoo is removed. After the bathing is finished, you may want to use a cat-approved flea dip or a lanolin-based cream rinse. Do not use dog products for your ferret. They are often too strong and could be dangerous. When finished, rub the ferret vigorously with a bath towel to help it dry and then keep it in a warm, draft-free room until it is completely dry. You can also blow-dry your ferret, on a cool setting, to speed-up the drying process.

Chloe loves to bathe in the tub and swim with her rubber ducky.

Chloe even pulls the plug out when she is done her bath.




Back to...Main Page



1