by debferret

Nail Clipping Gross Bonus

So yesterday was a fun day! I posted that I cleaned a gazillion litter boxes, changed bedding and clipped toe nails. I even bathed 4 naughty ferrets.

This was an all day adventure and I had a continuous cup of coffee going. I would simply top up my cup when it go low or too cold.

The coffee cup followed me from chore to chore. When I do the nails, I place a towel on my counter. I then place the ferret on the towel on its back, add the Ferretone (discontinued in 2020, substitute with Salmon Oil or Olive Oil or Flax Oil) to the tummy and clip away while he is licking the oil. This is easiest for me as I have a bad back and bending over a ferret sitting on my lap wouldn’t be to bad if I was only doing one or two, but, I have lots of fuzzbutts to do. The clipped toe nail ends accumulate in the towel and a few go flying here and there.

This morning I decided that I should do up my dishes from yesterday and today. Not much to do, a plate, bowl, a bit of cutlery and my coffee cup. I poured out the last dregs of coffee and just happened to look down. Yucky, Yucky, Yucky, I had ferret toe nail bits at the bottom of my cup! (do the mental picture here because I couldn’t get a good picture, the nail bits came out looking like bits of worms which looks even grosser). I guess I had my coffee cup just a tad too close on the counter. I am going to pretend that I didn’t swallow any yesterday!

I am known for letting my ferrets kiss my lips, nose, teeth and ear lobs. I have offered my ferrets a lick of yogurt from my spoon and then finished off the spoon. I have let my ferrets lick the smooth peanut butter off my toast and then finished the toast. I am sure I have more germs in my mouth then my furries do and besides these are my babies and tough nougies to those of you that are grossed out. My dogs give me cheek kisses too – so there. Having said all this, I admit the idea of those toe nails swimming around in my coffee cup does leave me a bit grossed out. We all know there those paws have been!

So, to my fellow ferret owners, when clipping your ferret’s toe nails, make sure to cover your beverage container or you may just have a “little extra” that you hadn’t counted on!

12.18.14

by debferret

Looking Good for Santa!

I need to take a break hence I stuff certain ferrets in a gift bag and leave them under the tree for Santa! I have spent the whole morning changing litter boxes and putting fresh hammocks and blankies in all the cages.

Next on the agenda was nail trimming time! Nail clipping is easy so long as you have your trusty bottle of Ferretone. I have a special Ferretone stained towel that I set on the counter. I dribble some Ferretone on the tummy area and while the ferret is busy taking care of his Ferretone addiction; I do the nails. I used to sit on the floor and do it until I got fed up chasing down the Ferretone bottle as it thumped down the hall behind a ferret; leaving an enticing trail that the other ferrets out playing were skidding through!

Now you would be thinking that bath time was next so that everyone would be sweet smelling for Santa. The first year I had ferrets, I bathed them every 3rd month. Then I smartened up and to the ferrets immense relief I only give them a bath in the Spring when they are shedding their winter coat and again in the late fall when they are shedding their Summer coat. The bedding gets changed every second day or third at the very latest. I stopped having itchy ferrets and my ferrets and home smelled much better. The ferrets were over compensating the oil production when I was stripping their coats every 3rd month. The oily residue from their coats is deposited on the blanket/hammock and that is changed often enough that the smell does not have a chance to make stinkies. ** To keep their bedding smelling fresh and clean always add one cup of Vinegar to the wash water. The vinegar sterilizes and deodorizes the bedding!

Back to wanting to let Santa have the brats. I figured I was all done, litter boxes washed and refilled, fresh hammocks and bedding and everyone had a manicure – time for a well deserved cup of coffee. I ran downstairs to put the washing into the dryer. Upon my return (sob) I discovered Dwight, Snip, Ginger and Peaches rolling, yes, rolling in honey!!! I do not know which one opened the pantry, I do not know which one pushed the honey off the second shelf or the little bugger that got the tuperware lid off; all I know is that I had four very sticky ferrets licking as fast as their little tongues could go before mommy took the honey away! Okay, I can understand licking the spilled honey, but weasel war dancing through it!!! That was done just to spite mommy!

So, I put all four in my soaker tub and let them play/get clean. Have you ever tried to towel dry your ferret? Do you know what wet ferrets do? I had four psycho ferrets jumping and bouncing and – nuts how can you stay mad when you are almost peeing yourself laughing.

So, I have four very tired, fluffy, clean fuzzbutts all ready for Santa. I hear whispering coming from the shelter room. I think the others want to get in on the fun – they honey is now on the top shelf and I am heading off to Wal Mart to buy baby cupboard locks!

here are the 4 brats (no, I was too busy grabbing ferrets to take a picture of them coated in honey, these portrait shots will have to do)

Ginger and Snip looking so innocent

Dwight – I live with 3 girls, who’s idea do you think this was?

I’m an old, old lady, I would never be naughty (tehe)

12.17.14

by debferret

BAD Toys for Ferrets!

I sometimes wish I could be in the head of my ferret to understand what the heck it is thinking as it runs down the hall with my shoe thumping along. Why does he want to play with my shoe when I have a whole box of great toys for him??? The rubber heels and insoles are sooo bad for him and I just know he’s going to start chewing as soon as he is hidden under my bed!

I am going to show you some of the bad toys that have come in to the shelter with a ferret just in the last couple of years. I have thrown out three times the amount at least but never thought to take pictures.

I’d like to give you all one very important piece of advice because for every bad toy I am displaying, there are 20 more not featured. How to make sure you are buying a safe toy irregardless if there is a cute ferret picture of the package? Simply ask yourself this question –

CAN MY FERRET CHEW OR INGEST ANY PART OF THIS TOY?

Watch for buttons or beads for eyes and noses. Check for beads used for stuffing. Never buy squeaky toys made of soft vinyl or soft rubber. Soft foam balls packaged for ferrets-NOT. Leave teething rings filled with liquid for your human babies. Make sure handles or cords can not wrap around your ferret’s neck. Don’t give a toy so small that the ferret can get stuck and suffocate such as used paper towel or toilet paper rolls?

assorted bad toys, soft vinyl, foam, rubber

packaged as a ferret toy. 10 seconds with a ferret. thank goodness no longer for sale

use extreme caution with tennis balls, the rubber banding can be chewed off as a ferret demonstrated.

ferret died after biting and swallowing one “point” and not noticed in time

took the ferret 2 months of chewing to break off a piece-check toys weekly!

soft vinyl squeaky toys, please leave for cats and dogs

11.20.14

by debferret

I stole Mommy’s Desert!

Curled up on the couch watching TV. The different groups of ferrets had just been put back to bed and I let out Jocko for his Mommy time. This wild little boy bounced from one end of the living room to the other. Little fart makes me laugh sooo much!

I decided to have my strawberry yogurt for desert. I peeled off the lid and stirred my yogurt. Vroom, Jocko was standing at my feet begging to be picked up. Such a sweet boy!

Next thing I know he has turned himself around and he has his nose in my yogurt. Now, yogurt is actually good for ferrets. When they have diarrhea you can add yogurt to their duck soup to help put the good bacteria back in their gut.

I’m eating Mommy’s yogurt! Yummy

Had to take the picture! Well he went to town on the yogurt, not even coming up for air! After a few minutes I put him down, but he jumped back at my legs wanting more. Little piggy had slurped enough down for now, so it was bedtime for him!

Jocko polished off some of Mommy’s yogurt!

You know you are a crazy ferret mom when you share your yogurt with your ferret and then eat the rest, ferret spit be damned!

11.17.14

by debferret

You’re trying to poison me!!!

As a long term shelter mom I have given more different types of medications over the years than I can count! There is a medication prescribed to treat diarrhea that is very effective. In fact it is the only antibiotic that will treat gut issues. This medication is Metronidazole.

I must admit that when I take a shelter ferret to the vet for diarrhea I am praying that I will be prescribed something NEW. It never happens. Ferrets HATE Metronidazole with a passion.

What is my complaint with Metronidazole? Well, this medication is very, very bitter. It is also prescribed to us humans and if you have ever had the displeasure of taking it; it is like licking a sour piece of metal – horrible bitter taste! Our ferrets feel the same way.

The vet will tell you to camouflage the crushed pill in honey or jam (never peanut butter). You may get the first dose in your ferret but trust me, you will wear the second dose, and the third and the fourth……………..

Ivan before his tummy issue

Well, I had to take Ivan to the vet for diarrhea and came home with the Metronidazole! Here we go! After years of crushing pills between spoons and using dollar store crushers, I finally went out and bought myself a pestle and mortar this summer (best 10.00 investment ever). I crushed the med. and went to the fridge for some “jam”. Bridget had made some delicious Plum jam and had gifted me a small jar. When you select your masking agent you need to make sure that it will slide down the ferret’s throat safely and most importantly; QUICKLY! Peanut butter and honey coat the mouth and it takes too many licks to make it slide down the throat. Ferretone (discontinued 2020, using Salmon Oil) goes NOT mask the taste well enough. So that is why we are back to jam. You should never use a jam that can cause other issues. An example would be using Raspberry jam. Never use raspberry jam because the seeds can cause complications.

Ok, back to giving poor Ivan his meds. I have my pestle and mortar to grind the pill into FINE POWDER. I have my jam and spoon for mixing.

bitter medicine

pestle and mortar, 2 sizes

smooth sweet jam to mask the bitter taste of crushed meds

Well, so far, most of you are probably thinking, yeah I know this! Well I discovered something this time around. The first couple of times, I had taken the jam out of the fridge to let it come to room temperature (I have done this for years). Once the chill was off the jam, I mixed everything up and scruffed Ivan. I put the blob of jam in his mouth and then held him in a cuddle fashion. Let’s face it, we feel so guilty giving yucky medicine we have to cuddle them to say sorry!

Ivan fought me as I expected. He bubbled and frothed and we both wore the med but at least “some” got in him! On the morning of day three I took out the jam, but because of sleeping in and being in a hurry for an appointment; I immediately mixed the jam with the crushed med and gave it to Ivan keeping him in the scruff mode as I did it. Two things happened. The cold jam slid down his throat and didn’t “melt” on Ivan’s tongue. Also keeping Ivan in the scruff mode meant he couldn’t shake his head to spray his med flecked spit all over. The med went down in 2 seconds flat and Ivan didn’t froth at the mouth. Wow, that was easy! I gave Ivan a quick lick of Ferretone discontinued 2020 – now using Salmon Oil) as a reward and he did not shy away from me. He did not seem stressed this time. well, well, well.

I tried the same thing (cold jam) for the evening dose and again it went off like a charm.

I have since tried it with my IBS ferret JJ and he is not spitting up the Metronidazole. In fact in 5 seconds it’s all over with and he goes about playing. Man, I wish I had known this years ago. I had always warmed the jam up to make it easier! Now, I am no scientist so I can’t explain why the meds go down easier and quicker cold, but I tell you, I won’t do it any other way from now on!