Ferrets

[J.T.]

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I've had my 3 ferrets now for about 5 weeks & they are great but as I've not had any before, there are still a few things I'm not too sure about.

When I got them, one of them seemed to be scratching a bit but now all 3 are doing it. They seem to be itchy & scratch themselves quite a lot. I've looked at all of them & there are definately no fleas. There are no sore or inflamed areas, they just scratch. I've put vet bed in the sleeping compartment which keeps them nice & warm but when I change the bedding, every week, I've noticed it gets a browny colour within a day or 2. I think this is coming off the inside of the hutch, sort of like the resin or dye out of the wood??

The ferrets themselves are clean & I clean the housing out every day.

Anyone have any idea what could be causing it?

Also, just in case I ever do find fleas, what products are safe for ferrets? Can I use frontline or stronghold as for dogs?

Food. I feed them on James Wellbeloved complete which they have been on before I got them, they are 18 months old. They like this food but I want to give them a bit of variety. They like grapes & banana but not apricots :b

Is it ok to give these things & what else do you think they would like. I tried a bit of Nature Diet dog food but they didn't touch it, just hid it in a corner where it stayed all day till I moved it.

Poo. :x Now I'm not an expert on ferret poo so I don't know whats normal or not. It always seems a bit wet, but they seem to wee & poo at the same time :blink: They are very good & nearly always go in one of the litter trays. Maybe its a bit sloppy cos of the fruit but I'm comparing it to nice solid dog poos so maybe this is normal for ferrets??

Any comments would be much appreciated, I don't want to do anything wrong. :thumbsup:

This is Bungee, the big male. He is very nosey & doesn't like to miss anything.

 

[dana]

ive never had ferrets but a friend of mine did, he said they went mental for dead chicks or rats. i think u should be able to get them from a large pet store.

 

[boothros]

Ive had a ferret that has been scratching now for 8 years! like you say there doesnt seem to be a cause of it, nor do they seem to cause much damage to the skin. If they get really bad, a skin scrape by the vet would rule out any type of skin mite. I would get veterinary advice before using any canine products on a ferret.(whilst remembering that not all vets are terribly knowledgeable about ferrets), I would excercise EXTREME caution before using Frontline or products like it (It has been documented that most canine eardrops are detrimental to ferret health.) Although there are not that many ferret products around, it is a mistake to always treat ferrets as small dogs or cats, which is what a lot of vets are prone to doing. Watch very carefully for fleas if you bed down on straw. If you suspect fleas, one tip I have been given, is to puff a little small animal flea powder (from pet shops) into the bedding itself. If you have an exterior run available, let the ferrets use it, ferrets can cope with the cold very well. Sure they might love to sleep all on top of each other at the end of the day (& at the start of the day & the middle of the day!), but dont be afraid to let them out even if it is a bit brisk outside for our liking. James Welbeloved is an excellent food, and will give them all they need, though some experts suggest that feeding an all dry diet can lead to liver problems. (I have had no problems with this.) The poos you describe are quite normal & as you rightly say, they will change in solidity & appearance depending on what you feed. (You can always for example, tell when your ferrets had raw egg for tea the night before!) Adding treats is great as it provides extra nutrients & interaction (Avoid any dairy products though). Though day old chicks can be fed, a lot of pet or rescue ferrets that have been brought up on complete diets, wont touch them. If you do decide to feed these, check that they have been eaten & not simply hidden as if theyre left they will attract flies. Doesn't sound like your going to far wrong so far, look lovely from the pic.

 

[*Lesley*]

I'm not sure why they are scratching :unsure: but I can tell you how I keep mine, they have straw in the main part of the hutch, then in the closed compartment I have a shelf with a slope(to walk o) their bed is on the top which is a box filled with shredded paper, under the shelf they do their toilet so it doesnt interfere with their bed or other area.

Food, I feed dried food and sometimes raw meat or raw egg,but no veg,dont know if I should but I never have and it hasn't dont them any harm.

They come in the house on an evening for an hour for a mad run about (w00t) it keeps them tame ect.

If you take them out rabbiting they need checking after each trip because rabbits can be full of fleas :x You can use frontline for this :thumbsup:

 

[Trish]

i know pet rats can get lice when they are born if mum as them,and ive had 7 in total over the years,5 had lice when i bought them from a pet shop,took them to the vets and was perscribed selene (sp) shampoo for cats,so worth checking your ferrets.

if you have a look at the base of the hair folical look for a tiny thicken of the hair and just scrap upwards with your nail see if anything moves back down :x

 

[Mark Roberts]

a quick sprey with frontline regularly just behind the head works wonders.

 

[Milo-Quin]

Have a chat on www.ferretsforum.co.uk . Lots of ferret people who wll have a good chat to you and help with any problems.

 

[mally]

It always makes me laugh when people get on about ferrets i've had ferrets for over 22 years and i think i know a thing or two about keeping them.

Ferrets are carnivores they eat MEAT i believe too much dry food isn't good for them. I fed it one summer (james well beloved) and they too scratched like mad. Now i feed it just once a week and the rest of the time i feed a balanced diet of Full rabbit (with the stomach and intestines removed) Wood pigeons, Pheasant, duck etc i leave the fur and feathers on too.

I work my ferrets during the winter months and they are out 3-4 days a week so they need to be fit. Thats why i keep them in a 8' x 4' 2 tier cage.

As for there bedding i use greyhound bedding(bits of jay cloth) i change it twice a week and i've never had any problems with any parasites but as Mark Roberts says a quick spray behind the ears with frontline won't hurt them. HOWEVER DON'T USE THE DROPPER IT WILL KILL YOUR FERRET.

If you can't get hold of a ready supply of rabbits etc try going to a place that sells bird of prey food and buy quail and half grown rats. If you feed them at night during the summer months and take out any remaining food the morning after you won't get any problems with sour and fly blown meat in the cages.

 

[Rae]

Just a comment re the vet bed - it's designed to pull the wet away form the animal and onto the underside - so the brown patches you are describing could be wee that has soaked through, although it will feel dry on the fluffy side

Out of interest re the whole rabbits - why should they not eat the intestines & stomach? Is it the same for birds of prey? (My friend has a small owl who has decided to live in her garage and he sometimes gets whole rabbits :unsure: )

 

[mally]

  Out of interest re the whole rabbits - why should they not eat the intestines & stomach?  Is it the same for birds of prey? (My friend has a small owl  who has decided to live in her garage and he sometimes gets whole rabbits  :unsure: )

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It's something i've never fed Rae i always clean the rabbits, but i do leave the liver,lungs and heart still in. I find it also opens the rabbit up making it easier for the ferrets to eat.

 

[LasVegasNo1]

i know pet rats can get lice when they are born if mum as them,and ive had 7 in total over the years,5 had lice when i bought them from a pet shop,took them to the vets and was perscribed selene (sp) shampoo for cats,so worth checking your ferrets.if you have a look at the base of the hair folical look for a tiny thicken of the hair and just scrap upwards with your nail see if anything moves back down :x

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ahh you're making me feel itchy - my rats are currently running all over me and all over the computer - just had to check them, no lice here! lol :lol:

Bungee is a sweetie :wub: :wub: :wub:

 

[J.T.]

Thank you all for your advice. The brown staining is on the furry side of the vet bed, not the underneath so I still think it's coming off the wood itself. The ferrets don't ever wee in their bed compartment so it's not that. I've had a good look at them today & combed them & absolutely no sign of any parasites

I have started bringing them into the kitchen for a good run about, they love climbing up the outside of the washing basket & then burrowing into the washing. Well, it's all going to get washed so not a problem really.

We've added another floor to their house so now they have two 2 storey hutches connected by a tunnel, with lots of play things. They use the cat scratching post just like a cat would, hopefully this will keep their claws o.k.

I'm also going to ferret proof the whole patio & then they can come out in summer for a run about. It doesn't get a lot of direct sun so it should be fine for them.

I hate animals being kept in cages so want them to have as much room as poss to have fun in.

This is the new improved hutch