Here are some helpful tips that I have found. I am putting them here for people who already own ferrets or are preparing for a ferret.
Designing A Ferret Cage
The cage is the most important piece of equipment you can purchase or build for a ferret. It must be escape-proof and big enough for a food and water dish, litter box, and nesting area, while allowing adequate room for the ferret to move around. A cage approximately 36" wide by 24" long and 24" high, so the ferret can stand up, works best. Wire sides are useful to ensure adequate light, which is essential to a good ferret coat and healthy animal. Avoid pressure-treated wood and painted wood that can chip off or be ingested, and NEVER use an aquarium. Some people advocate hanging a water bottle on the outside so ferrets cannot knock it over, but a dish of fresh water, which they like to clean their faces in, should always be available inside the cage.
The nesting area should contain towels or old T-shirts, which ferrets love to hide in. Many ferrets love small hammocks that can be hung from the ceiling of the cage. Do not use cedar or pine chips anywhere near ferrets, as they cause respiratory problems. The new paper pellet litter is recommended.
Vaccinations
Canine Distemper is fatal in ferrets. Kits should receive a series of shots at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 16 weeks, then a booster every year. We use Galaxy D that does not contain any unnecessary additives. There is also an USDA approved Rabies vaccine made by Rhone Merieux called Imrab. There may or may not be a quarantine period in your area. Ferrets so far are not known to shed the virus, but it is 100% fatal. Some states have enacted quarantine periods of 14-21 days. Known ferret rabies cases are rare. There are no known ferrets to human transmissions.
|Menu
Heartworm Preventative
If you live in an area where mosquitoes are a problem for a significant part of the year your ferret should be on an oral heartworm preventative. Your veterinarian will specify the dosage and frequency.
|Contents
Diet
Feed a high quality dry ferret food with at least 32% protein. Ferrets also like a variety of tastes, preferring chicken and lamb. A good ferret food is Totally Ferret. Many ferrets also like fresh fruits including dates and raisins and some vegetables but cannot digest seeds or other rough hard foods, so care must be taken to remove them for instance, feed seedless watermelon. All fruit and vegetables must be looked at as treats, not substituted for nutritionally balanced dry food. Limit amount of treats to one teaspoon per day. Food and water should be made available at all times. Ferrets as a rule do not overeat, but if you have an overweight ferret and have eliminated other causes, there are good reduced-calorie cat foods on the market. Please consult with your vet before placing a ferret on a restricted diet. For more information, see "The Basis for Good Nutrition."
|Menu
Ears
Ferrets have naturally waxy ears that must be cleaned regularly. Any good ear wash will do. They are also susceptible to ear mites. Use Tresederm or any other similar product. Place a little ear wash on the end of a cotton swab and gently wipe the interior of the ear. Repeat several times. Clogged ears will become infected, causing hearing loss and sometimes loss of balance.
|Menu
Grooming
Do not over bath. It can cause more problems then you might want. Bathing is part of good health for your ferret. Once a month is recommended due to the high amount of oil they produce in their skin. Any mild soap followed by a good cream rinse will do. When you wash them, you wash away the oils, so ferrets have a tendency to scratch; the cream rinse takes care of that and also cuts down on dander, which is a bonus if you have allergies. Use warm running water and rub dry with a soft towel. They will then run around the house much like a small dog trying to dry on every soft surface. If sharing the house with another outside animal, they can pick up fleas. There are good shampoos available with natural peppermint, or much stronger Pyrethrum- -as long as it is safe for kittens, these are fine.
NEVER DIP A FERRET!
|Menu
Exercise
Play and activity are essential to good health. Ferrets need at least 4 hours free time a day, more is preferable. A ferret will sleep about 18 hours out of every 24 in small intervals, but will quickly adapt to your schedule. A ferret that is caged too much will develop apathy and depression. This will result in their either refusing food or getting too fat, eating out of boredom. If a ferret has "love handles" it needs more time out! They are naturally curious and will entertain themselves, coming around often to seek you out to play. They are also good sleeping companions and like to snuggle under the covers at night; getting up only to use the litter pans or eat.
Note: it is normal for a ferret to lose its coat and up to 30% of body weight every summer. If it is otherwise acting healthy, do not worry.
Ferret Proofing
Ferrets are profoundly curious animals. Any small crevice or crack or drainpipe is an invitation to adventure. As you can imagine, they sometimes get stuck and can't get back. You need to stop up all holes under counters and kick boards, vents in the back of dryers leading to the outside, under refrigerators and stoves and so forth. Ferrets are great escape artists who would put Houdini to shame. Once a ferret gets out, it will travel and play until it gets tired or hungry, then seek human companionship for food and shelter. This can be one or two miles! Ferrets also love to jump into the icebox and dishwasher. They also like nothing better than to sleep in laundry baskets. So you must be very careful when doing laundry or other chores involving large machines. Reclining chairs are a death trap. In short, treat ferrets as if they were toddlers. A ferret's motto is, "If it's there, I should investigate it!
Teeth
Teeth need to be kept clean and free from tartar just as in dogs and cats. The dry food will keep the teeth pretty clean, but it is a good idea to get in the habit of checking teeth at bath time. Ferrets tend to chip their canines on various things. A small chip off the tip is not a worry, but if the tooth looks like it is missing by 1/3 you should take the animal to the vet. Young ferrets have bright white teeth. Older ferrets do get rotten teeth and they can be removed easily. The teeth begin to turn sort of transparent and more ivory with age. Bad teeth are easy to spot. They will be dark just like human cavities.
|Menu
Taking Your Ferret's Temperature WARNING. BE VERY CAREFUL DOING THIS. IF YOU ARE UNSURE THEN DON'T DO IT. IF NOT DONE RIGHT IT CAN SERIOUSLY HURT YOUR FERRET!!!
Shake down the thermometer. Coat it with some lubricant such as Vaseline. If necessary, distract the ferret with a treat and have someone hold him. Insert 1/2 inch into rectum, wait one minute, remove and read. Normal temperature range is 101-103 degrees.
|Menu
How To Give Medication
Liquid Medication: administer with dropper or syringe in the side of the mouth; do not give too rapidly or forcefully. Allow ferret time to swallow or may risk the development of a life-threatening lung infection, if some of the medication accidentally enters the trachea. .
Pills: some ferrets will accept a pill in a raisin or grape, or with some Linatone or Ferratone. Tablets may be pushed to the back of the mouth near the throat; stroking the neck encourages swallowing. "Pet pillers" are another alternative and are usually carried by veterinarians.
Moving An Injured Ferret
Gently wrap in a bulky material such as a towel or pillowcase. A full body wrap works best. Ensure that the head is fully exposed to allow proper breathing. Seek veterinary attention immediately.
|Menu
Caring for Sick Ferrets
Sick or injured ferrets dehydrate fast. Once a ferret "goes down" it is often difficult to bring them back. NEVER DELAY TREATMENT! Even when you think they are eating and drinking they may not be getting enough calories or electrolytes. It is always wise to hand feed when you are not sure. For really sick ferrets, hand feed every 4 hours. They have a quick digestive system. Everything they eat goes through their system in 4 to 5 hrs. Powdered electrolytes are one of the many "little miracles" we have found to work wonders in ferret recovery. The Acme ferrets receive electrolytes in their water on a daily basis.
Sick ferrets needs to keep warm. Never put them on an electric pad! Plenty of clean towels in their cage and towel draped over the back and sides will provide a warm environment.
Ferrets are very social animals and quickly become attached to you. The best thing you can do for a sick ferret is to hold it. Contact and the sound of your voice are important to a ferret's well being.
The Basis For Good Nutrition
By Dr. Jean Wardell
Sound nutrition translates directly into good health! Ferrets are carnivorous animals, meaning they are strictly meat eaters. In addition, they are characterized by an extremely high metabolic rate. The food that they consume is burned and the nutritional components used very rapidly. Therefore, regardless of age, ferrets should have constant access to food. They eat about 10 small meals over 24 hours. Ingested food is eliminated in 4 hours.
Studies have shown that animal s offered a palatable diet will generally eat to fulfill energy needs. When these requirements are satisfied, regulatory mechanisms are activated which cause cessation of eating.
Highly palatable food can interfere with the normal function of these mechanisms. Obesity is an uncommon problem in ferrets owing to their high metabolic rates. Occasionally, however, a ferret can become pudgy, usually after 3 years of age. If your pet is developing this "middle-aged spread," try switching to a diet which contains a lower percentage of fat.
This leads directly into our discussion of fat and other nutritional requirements. It is important for ferrets to have a diet fairly high in animal fat (18-22% is recommended). It is also important for ferrets to have a diet high in MEAT protein such as chicken, beef, or liver. Fish based foods are not well tolerated or accepted by ferrets, and frequently result in vomiting.
Moreover, fish does not have the proper protein or amino acids needed. This is because animals don't need protein per se. Rather they need the amino acids used to build protein. Ferrets can only use amino acids from meat proteins; they cannot use amino acid from plant proteins. A meat (chicken, beef, or liver, for example) should be listed in the first 3 ingredients on a label to ensure it has enough protein.
Ferrets require 21 amino acids which are either manufactured metabolically or which are obtained from the digestion of food. This latter group is referred to as "essential amino acids"--the word "essential" here means that the amino acid must be obtained from the diet, as ferrets are unable to synthesize them.
When reading the label, make sure the protein level is at least 31 or 32%. One exception to this is with older ferrets, where a higher protein content (>38%) may be detrimental to the kidneys.
Many cat foods sold in grocery stores have cereal or plant proteins in their formulations and as such are not the best dietary choices. For ferrets under 3 to 4 years of age, the growth or kitten formulations of these diets are recommended, because of the higher fat and protein content. A mixture of the two is also acceptable, depending on environment, activity levels, etc.
For ferrets over 4 years of age, the maintenance or adult cat formulations of the aforementioned brands are suitable. These diets also contain adequate levels of Taurine, an amino acid that plays an integral part in good vision (retina health) and maintenance of cardiac function. With recent advances in nutrition, there are now diets such as "Totally Ferret" to meet their unique nutritional needs.
Another item to check on the label is ash content. Ferrets kept on diets relatively high in ash content have a predisposition to develop urinary tract problems such as bladder stones. The brands previously mentioned are all low in ash content.
I suggest avoiding diets that contain Ethoxyquin, a preservative. Evidence indicates it is possible this compound may increase the likelihood of certain types of cancers in dogs, cats, and ferrets.
Milk and dairy products should be avoided, including "milk coated" kitten foods. Diarrhea may result.
It is perfectly normal that we like to spoil our ferrets. Some treats in reasonable quantities are acceptable. Do not give anything with bone or bone fragments. Cooked meat and egg are suitable to offer. Many ferrets love fruits and vegetables, but these should be limited, since they cannot digest or process fiber well. Again, diarrhea may result.
A good rule of thumb is to limit any treat to one teaspoon per day. Some favorites include cucumbers, green peppers, bananas, raisins, dates, and melon.
Avoid feeding foods that are high in complex carbohydrates or refined sugar. Ferrets cannot digest a lot of sugar, and such treats put a strain on the pancreas. Chocolate contains theobromine, which can result in toxicity. We may think that candy is dandy, but resist the temptation to share, no matter how much they beg or how pleadingly cute they look!
[Reprinted from the spring 1996 edition of THE INDEPENDENT VOICE]
|  |
|
