Update

I know it has be a long time since I've posted anything about ferrets and I am sorry for that. I can't say I'll be better about posting as I don't know if I will have much to say. I know this is pet dental month and others have posted some great information about brushing your pet's teeth. I've done a couple of posts in the past and they can be found Here and Here.

Losing Manny last year put me in a tail spin I am just starting to pull out of. Marcuz, Marylin, Boyd, and Dood live with me on the road in a 2001 Chevy Venture. It isn't always easy and for a while there I wasn't sure I could do it. I am not sure where I would be if it wasn't for the furry crew.

The van has been redesigned around the ferrets and cats. Marcuz was almost bald in August of last year now has a new coat with one small bald spot on his back. He didn't get an implant and the only thing I can figure is the fact he and Marylin get a natural light cycle. While his coat isn't super thick it is a lot softer than it was. Marylin's coat is thick and soft and the markings she had lost are coming back.

I should also mention that it wasn't only a natural light cycle but they along with the rest of us experienced the temperature ups and downs. I can't say they helped the ferrets to have great results but I can't say it didn't either.

So Marcuz and Marylin update their traveling blog on FB a bit better than I do here.

Last year they were in PA, OH, KY, OK, NM, AZ, and we took a wild, scary ride through the desert to be outlaws in CA for Christmas. This year I am hoping to take them to the beach we shall see how that works out. Hoping to make Blog Paws in Phoenix this year along with the Buckeye Bash in Columbus, and maybe even be at the Greatest Ferret Show on Earth in Chicago. We shall see how it goes.

So if you see a tan van with two cats and two ferrets driving by give us a honk and a wave. See ya on the flip side.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo and the Furry Crew

Getting Older

 

 

So Saturday was my fifth birthday. Which means I am now on the threshold of becoming a senior pet. With that hooman has more concerns about my health.

I am already considered to have Adrenal Disease since I have an enlarged spleen but am not showing any other signs such as hair loss like Marcuz is.

Hooman has started doing weekly testing of my blood sugar to make sure I am not showing any signs of Insulinoma.

I am also starting to show some signs of tooth decay even though hooman does brush my teefs. It will be one of the many things we will discuss with my awesome vet Doctor Doverspike in March of April depending on when we can get an appointment with him. Hooman doesn’t want to take any chances with our healthcare  and I really don’t like the lady vet that did my ultra sound.

I will also have to start seeing Doctor Doverspike twice a year if not more depending on my age but then I won’t be going alone since Marcuz will be turning five in September.

Here are just a couple of pics of me getting my bifday treats. Yum! 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Manny

Brushing Ferret Teeth

Manny getting his teeth brushed while I filmed how to do it.

 

 

Have a Chittering good Day,

 

Jo

National Dental and Heart Month.

 

Most pet parents know that February is National Dental month and that many vets give discounts for your pet to have their teeth cleaned. What many don’t realize is that it is also National Heart Month, granted it is more geared towards us humans but I believe that we should also have our pet’s hearts checked out as well since we are seeing increases in human diseases in our beloved fur babies.

Periodontal disease is very common in older ferrets over the age of 3 which is considered middle age. Cardiomyopathy is common in companion animals including ferrets when it is present in ferrets that are considered middle age to senior in age. “Cardiomyopathy comes from three Greek words that means disease of the Heart Muscle” 

 

A more in depth look at these topics to come.

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Did You Know?

Did you know that in 2011 there were only 75 board certified veterinarian dentists in the United States?

Did you know that most people believe that hard food and chew toys will keep a pet’s teeth and mouth free of cavities and other dental problems?

Did you know that ferret teeth grow from the tip up?

Did you know that the pulp inside a ferret’s tooth does not grow all the way down in the tooth?

Did you know that baby ferrets called kits have 30 teeth by the time they are 3 months old and should have lost their baby teeth by the time they are 9 months old?

Did you know that adult ferrets have 34 teeth?

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Pet teeth

All pets should have their teeth brushed to prevent many periodontal diseases that can cause other health issues such as Heart disease, Kidney problems, and digestive issues.

With preventative dental care given by both the pet owner and the pet’s vet these issues may be lessened or eliminated. The data about dental issues for ferrets is that 95% of them show some signs of periodontal disease.

Brushing your pet’s teeth may seem like an unnecessary chore because you are under the impression that the hard kibble you feed is cleaning your pet’s teeth. Think about all the things you eat throughout the day would you want to go a day without brushing your teeth at least once?

We as pet parents need to get past the outdated notion that we only have to worry about their teeth only when a problem shows up that can lead to unseen expense or issues that could have been prevented or have a better outcome.

Think about it this way we schedule yearly dental exams for our children and ourselves and some of us do the six-month check up. We brush our teeth anywhere from two to 3 times a day. If our teeth start to hurt, we make a dentist appointment immediately to get rid of the pain. So why should our pets be any different?

Our pets depend on us to know what to do for them beyond the scope of monitoring their bathroom, eating habits, and their medical needs.

One of the more serious dental issues for our pets is Stomotitis, which is the medical jargon for inflammation of the oral cavity and can lead to the removal of some teeth and in extreme cases all the teeth like our friend Mario da Cat

We as pet owners need to be aware of our pet’s mouth and by brushing their teeth weekly if not daily allows us to see any changes that we might miss if we only rely on the annual vet check up.

When was the last time you brushed your pet’s teeth?

How often do you look into your pet’s mouth?

Who was is considered the father of microbiology?

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Wordless Wednesday: Video

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

And the Answer Is…

I asked on Friday what the one supplement do we all need. The answer is Taurine. For the most part humans and dogs can produce this amino acid naturally from the foods they eat but cats and ferrets are unable to produce it and need to have it added to their diets.

Taurine helps maintain healthy eyesight and studies are showing that it has an important role in keeping the heart healthy along with preventing tooth decay in cats and because there isn’t a lot of research published I can only conclude that the same may be true with ferrets.

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,
Jo

National Pet Dental and Heart Month

February highlights two very important health issues for both humans and their pets. We humans know that we need to take care of our teeth and hearts for various reasons but we don’t often think that we need to do the same for our beloved pets. There is research that shows there is a direct link between dental care and heart issues.

Dental care has been pushed in the last few years and now we can’t go a day without seeing an ad on television for products that help keep the tarter off our dog/cat’s teeth but they are not the only pets that need good dental care.

Heart health is just now starting to get some publicity but not though the traditional media. We are learning more about it from those we follow on twitter, Google +, Facebook, and many blogs and in some instances conferences, such as Blog Paws.

Again, the most focus is on dogs and cats but ferrets are also among those that get heart disease and what is surprising is that there seems to be a link between the lack of a specific supplement and heart disease that both cats and ferrets need. This link has been established in dogs as well but they produce the supplement naturally.

For the month of February, I will be writing about these things.

Without googling what supplement do you think cats and ferrets need?

What dental problems can pets have?

Do you brush your pet’s teeth?

Or do you have yearly dental cleanings performed at the vet’s office?

Brushing Manny’s Teeth: Video

 

 

I have to get better at placing the camera.

 

 

 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Brushing Your Ferret’s Teeth

The top dental issues for ferrets are periodontal disease and fractured canine teeth. Periodontal disease is easily preventable with daily brushing. While I don’t brush my boy’s teeth daily I do brush them weekly.

Brushing is easier to do when you start doing it when your ferret is still very young. It can be done when you have an older ferret but you will have to offer a lot of praise and good for their teeth treats for letting you mess with their mouths.

You will need:
Pet toothpaste I am using and the tube will last me a long time.

A toothbrush that you and your ferret are comfortable with; I use a Colgate® Wisp that I have pried the mouthwash bead out of.

You will also need a container of water and some dental treats for a reward afterwards. I use Greenies® Feline Dental Treats.

I recommend that you let your ferret out for playtime and let they run out of energy. It will make the experience more pleasant for the both of you.

Set up the area where you will be brushing their teeth. Having a table that is the ideal height and a comfortable chair for you will beneficial while you are brushing your ferret’s teeth. Put a small amount of pet toothpaste on the brush and have it next to the container of water.

Once they have run most of their excess energy off you can pick your ferret and get ready to brush. First you should run your hand along their jaw to feel for any bumps or unusual feeling areas. By doing this often you will know what your ferret’s mouth should feel like.

Now it is time to brush their teeth.

Scruffing your ferret will let you see inside their mouth without hurting them or you getting bit. Scruffing does not hurt your ferret.

Pick up the prepared toothbrush dipping it into the water and then gently start brushing the back teeth with the same motions you use on your own teeth. Look to see if there are any discolored teeth that may need looked at by your vet.

Move to the canine teeth and check to see if they are chipped or have any evidence of fractures. Such as cracks, missing enamel, or even pieces missing. Don’t forget the tiny teeth in between the canines.

This picture isn’t the best but Marcuz was a jewel to let me brush his teeth that day.

By brushing your ferret’s teeth you help to eliminate bad breath and are more aware of what their mouth looks like and will notice if a problem arises sooner than if you didn’t. You will also surprise your vet as most ferret owners don’t brush their ferret’s teeth thinking that it isn’t needed.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

National Pet Dental Month

February is National Pet Dental Month. Until a couple of years ago I didn’t realize just how important it was to regularly have our pet’s teeth checked and to learn how to brush our pet’s teeth.    

Just like humans our pets are variable to the same types of mouth issues. Such as gingivitis, cavities, and some oral cancers.

The American Veterinary Dental College  (AVDC) recommends that we have annual dental check ups for our pets and do a minimum of brushing of once a week although daily is preferred.

Dogs and cats are mention on the site but other pets are not listed. When I found out about the recommendations I started brushing my ferrets: James and Lance at the time, teeth.

At first it was a real chore as they were older and there isn’t a toothbrush on the market for ferrets. But with continual trial and error we found what worked and while we couldn’t reverse some of the problems we did slow down others. 

Manny and Marcuz get their teeth brushed twice a week unless they have had something really sticky then they get their teeth brushed more often.

I surprised my vet because I do brush my boys teeth and am the only ferret owner he knows that does.

Because I do brush Manny and Marcuz’ teeth I know what their mouths look like and will know if something isn’t right before it becomes too big of an issue.

Disclosure: Picture of the ferret teeth is from a blog called teeth pictures.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Ferret Tooth Care

Question	Yes	No	Maybe	Ew/ didn’t know
Do you brush your pet’s teeth
Is kibble enough to keep your pet’s teeth healthy
Does periodontal disease exist in animals
Should you have your pet’s teeth cleaned regularly?

 

     Last year I learned about National Pet Dental Care Month and was surprised by the fact that our pet’s teeth need a lot of the same dental care we do. I learned a lot at the Veterinarian Oral Health Council (VOHC). The VOHC site had a lot of nice information for cat and dog owners but no information on ferrets. While I was able to find several articles online written by veterinarian dentists they were full of medical jargon that a pet owner would find hard to understand.

Some facts that should be reviewed:

At the time of posting last year, there were only 75 board certified veterinarian dentists in the United States.

Most pet owners believe that specially designed chew toys and hard food is enough to keep his/her pet’s teeth healthy.

Ferret teeth grow from the tip up.

Kits will have 30 teeth at 3 months of age and will have replaced them by age 9 months.

Adult ferrets have 34 teeth.

     According to VOHC, we should be brushing our pet’s teeth weekly if not daily to help prevent tooth loss, decay, gingivitis (1), and periodontal disease.

Periodontal disease has been linked to other health conditions besides tooth loss. These are a few:

Tooth root abscesses

Heart disease (endocarditis (2) or periocaditis (3))

Infections that can cause weight loss, and lethargy.

     Ferrets older than six years of age periodontal disease is a common condition that can be reduced with twice a year cleanings known as dental prophylaxis (4) where the tartar build up is scrapped from the teeth and under the gum line. In most cases, periodontal disease in older ferrets could have been reduced or prevented with daily tooth brushing.

     I have two new ferrets, Manny and Marcuz, who unlike my previous ferrets get their teeth brushed regularly. This in its self is a chore as there are no well designed toothbrushes for ferrets. Most are too big for their tiny mouths.

     Ferrets love to chew, bite, and drag things that could be detrimental to their long canines also known as eyeteeth. Breaking one of those could have an impact on their health so I inspect their teeth everyday for any obvious wear that might need a visit to the vet.

     Brushing a ferret’s teeth needs to be done in a way that it is a pleasant experience for both the ferret and the owner. If you have never brushed your ferret’s teeth before you need to get him/her used to you playing with his/her mouth without needing to scruff him/her so he/she will open his/her mouth.

     I do this by playing bad hair day with Manny and Marcuz. I gently wrap my hand around the back of their neck and pulling it forward lifting the hair up so that it looks like someone has pulled them out of a hole backwards. This gives me a chance to feel their jaw and the rest of their head and I would be able to tell if something had changed. I do this everyday and it allows me to open their mouth without the need of scruffing.

     For some scruffing is the technique they prefer. This is done by grabbing the loose flap of skin just behind the neck very much like a cat and lifting the ferret up. Doing this makes them yawn and will give you a clear view of the inside of their mouth.

     Look for a buildup of plaque or tarter, inflamed or bleeding gums, loose, missing, or broken teeth and make sure there is nothing stuck between the teeth like a piece of food or any other foreign object.

     Being able to brush a ferret’s teeth takes some ingenuity and a lot of patience. You need a toothbrush. As I said the ones designed for pets are too big for ferrets and I don’t use the fingertip brush. Pet toothpaste, never use human toothpaste, poultry flavor is recommended for ferrets but any flavor of pet toothpaste will work and a few dental treats for cats.

     It has taken me many different tries to find something that works well as a toothbrush for ferrets. I pried the breath fresher out of Colgate® wisps but even those were a little big then I came across Plackers by Placontrol® these are designed to get into hard reach places and they are perfect for brushing ferret teeth.

     I put a little of the pet toothpaste on one and brush my ferret’s teeth. I start with the large back teeth and work forward to the teeth in between the canines. Afterwards I give each of them some loving and praise for being so good about letting me brush their teeth then I give them a feline Greenies® dental treat for cats.

     I have noticed the difference in Manny and Marcuz’s teeth compared to what James’ teeth looked like. I don’t brush every day but I do weekly brushing at the same time I clip nails, clean ears, and brush their coats. To them it is a mini spa day and they both know they will get their beloved greenies at the end of it.

(1) Gingivitis: An inflammation of the gums

(2) Endocarditis: An inflammation of the inner layer of the heart usually involves the heart valves.

(3) Periocarditis: An inflammation of the two layer membrane that surrounds the heart.

(4) Dental prophylaxis: Cleaning, scaling, and polishing of teeth done under aesthetics by a veterinarian or veterinary dentist.

     So, do you brush your pet’s teeth? Are you going to start? Why or Why not? Leave me a comment.

Have a Chittering good day,

Jo

Bamboo Pet Product Review

     In keeping with the National Pet Dental Month theme I asked Bamboo® pet products if I could review one of their toothbrushes for cats in hopes that it would be an alternative to the fingertip toothbrush. In response I was sent one QuadBrush® and two tins of breath mints for cats and dogs.

  

     I like the unique design of the QuadBrush®. The one side offers three bristle heads for cleaning all sides of the teeth. The other side has a single head of bristles for cleaning those hard to reach places. The textured handle makes it easy to grip and keeps my fingers away from those sharp teeth.

     Unfortunately, the brush is too big for my fur kid’s mouths but the single head does allow me the opportunity to brush their teeth on one side.

     The QuadBrush® comes in three colors: Blue, pink, and yellow-green. It also has a sanitary cover to keep the brush clean but it is temperamental about staying closed sometimes it only takes a slight bump for it to pop open.

     The breath mints were the biggest hit. The CatToids™ and DogToid™ tins are cute in design and easy to open with one hand or one paw as Majic figured out. The mints themselves are just as whimsical as the tins. The mints are in the shapes of fish and bones.

     James insists that he has to pick out his own CatToid™ mint from the tin. Lance prefers the DogToid™ mints. Trixie thinks she needs a handful at a time of either mint.

     Overall, the QuadBrush® is great for keeping my fingers safe and I can use the one side for cleaning Lance and Jame’s teeth. The design is great for animals with larger mouths.

   

The Sanitary cover needs some work as it opens too easily or doesn’t close at all.

     Cat and DogToids™ wonderful tin design in both decoration and easy opening. Smart pets can easily open the tin. The small shapes are easy to grab and chew by ferrets and other animals.

     Thank you Bamboo® pet products for allowing us the chance to review your products. The breath mints have become a new addition to our household.

Bamboo® pet products can be found online at:

Dog n Catz

Doctors Foster and Smith

Evergreen Pet Supply

Jeffers

K9 Sports

Petco

Pet Discounters

Pet Smart

 Suburban Doghouse

 

Jo

First Wednesday Poll

This may become a monthly feature.

What are your thoughts?

 

Jo