AZ Heat

Okay so we made it to Blog Paws Thank you for having us. We got to meet Marjorie from @DashKitty and attended a couple of interesting sessions. Marylin was part of Pawject Runway and rocked the Elizabeth Taylor Diva look. We didn't win but we had a lot of fun.

This was a first conference for the kitties both of who did wonderful to the point that Boyd was happy to perch on top of the stroller as we wandered the exhibit hall and made some great connects.

I promise as soon as I have more than a few minutes of internet I will get all the logs ins done.

Was planning on being in Washington state as of this writing but the Universe has other plans for me one of which is Jury duty so that means I need to find a way to keep my fur kids safe. The first option that came to mind was a hotel room for two nights. Granted that would make sure I had a shower so that I don't stink and a soft bed and wifi but it also means a pet deposit and dipping deep into funds that are already getting low.

The other option is a pet sitter or boarding we will have to see how that prices out.

So that leads me to the main reason for this post.

We've been camping at a place called Snyder Hill and for the most part have the place to ourselves. Meaning there is the occasional over niter and then there is the wildlife. We've seen coyotes, birds of all sorts, ground squirrels that look like miniature prairie dogs, lizards, but thankful no snakes.

Camping is great when the temps are around 80 degrees (26.6 C) but that is even too high for ferrets who do okay up to 78 degrees.

So how does one get around temps that soar to above 100 degrees (37.7 C)?

First and foremost is the van has all the doors open while this would normally drain the battery I have a solar battery maintainer that is doing a great job of keeping the battery where it should be and second the interior lights are off.

Next is to put a tarp over the ferret's side of the van with the silver side out. Believe it or not it does help to drop the interior temps a few degrees.

Then WATER and plenty of it. If I have bought a bag of ice I make sure they have a few cubes in their water dish and a bowl of just ice.

I keep a close eye on them and if I see they are panting too much I give them a dip in a tub of water. Think how much you love going for a dip when it is hot outside. While Marylin isn't overly fond of it. Messes up her perfectly groomed hair. Marcuz loves his pool time and will roll over into a semi sitting position and just chill for a few minutes.

Normally I do the squeeze the extra water off maneuver but not on days like this. I get them to drips before putting them back in their fan cooled cage. Yes they have their own fan, spoiled much? You bet.

Instead of hot blankets for them to lay on they have a product called a FrogTogg(r)it is made for humans and is for keeping cool. A friend gave me one and I cut it into three pieces two of which are just the perfect size for ferrets and one larger one for me. Although I think they have gotten the most use out of all the pieces.

Last night (July 7) I was worried about Marcuz as he was having a hard time with the heat and hadn't been sleeping well. I made a platform out of the cage door with some fabric on it for him to lay on and then putting the soaked FrogTogg(r) on top of him like a blanket. Marcuz faced the fan and fell asleep with a smile on his face. I just wish the lighting had been better for pictures.

Needless to say I didn't sleep well as I kept a watchful eye on him until he woke up and went to his hammock and pulled himself into it and went back to sleep breathing a lot easier than he had been earlier.

While it isn't the greatest set up it is working for now. But once I can get solar power I will have an AC unit that can be turned on to keep the heat at bay.

The cats are liking the fact they can be outside the van more like under it during the day and Boyd likes to be on top of it just after sunset.

More to come:

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo and the Furry Crew

Woozel Wednesday

Woozel is another term many ferret owners use to describe their beloved little fur ball. Which makes sense as they are related to the weasel.

We are on our count down to Blog Paws and on the list of things to do was getting the 3 M's their vaccinations and health certificates.

Many people don't realize that ferrets can be exposed to many cat or dog viruses and occasionally get them. The only thing is that many of them are 100% fatal to ferrets no matter how fast it is discovered.
The two main diseases ferrets should be vaccinated against are rabies and distemper. There didn't use to be a vaccine that was made just for ferrets for either of these diseases and while the canine (puppy) vaccines have been used the effectiveness is relatively unknown.

Many ferret breeders/owners were glad to see the release of vaccines make especially for ferrets. Unfortunately the company that makes the distemper vaccine for ferrets has deemed the manufacturing of the vaccine to expensive and has stopped production. Leaving major shortages across the United States.  (Are you listening Merial?)

The reason I bring this up is because we are back to using puppy distemper vaccine for the 3 M's and only certain brands are recommended for ferrets none of which our vet uses.  But thankfully our favorite vet Dr. Sam Doverspike knows that we travel and has given the boys the vaccine he knew that while there are risks I would be ready for them.

Marcuz loves the taste of his vet and always gets in a few licks before trying to take a taste. Marcuz will be turning three this year and that means he is moving out of teenage years and into senior it also means he is a candidate for certain diseases that are very common in ferrets.  One of which is adrenal disease.

One of the signs is called Rat Tail and as you can see Marcuz has one but that is the only sign he is showing and we'll be monitoring him to make a decision about how to proceed. The two major options are an implant and/or surgery both of which can wait a little bit.

Manny has a slightly enlarged spleen also a known issue with ferrets and will be monitored closely. Manny turned 4 in January and really is considered on his way into seniorhood. But you would never tell from the way he was exploring the vet's office.
 

Marylin was the healthiest of them all but then she is only celebrating her 2nd birthday on July 1 at that time she will be a teenager.


While I know my boys are headed into a realm I don't want them to go I've been there done that with adrenal and know what to expect and how to deal with each coming event. The enlarged spleen is new and I will be compiling mounds of research just to keep informed and stay educated about it.

With a total of six shots my fur babies are ready for travel and have their health certificates to prove they've been seen and are allowed to travel the states.

I love that our vet office loves pets as much as we do even the light cover in the bathroom shows off their great sense of humor.




Have a Chittering Good Day,
Jo
15 days and counting.

Did You Know That Ferrets Get Colds

 

I just got over a bad cold. The kind where your head feels like it is going to explode. What many people don’t realize is that ferrets can and do get/give human colds. They can also give it back to the human if precautions are not taken to prevent the spread of the virus.

The precautions are the same ones you would take to prevent other family members from getting your cold. Hand washing is the number one thing you can do. I also have hand sanitizer in every room so that I can use it frequently before and after touching my fur babies. I also tend to wear a mask as not to breathe too many germs on them. The ideal situation would be for someone else to take care of them until I was well over my cold but ideal isn’t always possible.

Colds can last anywhere from seven to ten days and that does not include the time it takes to incubate. So your ferret may already be headed to having his/her own cold before you even see signs of your own cold.

So how do you know if your ferret has a cold? Pretty much the same way you know you have one. Runny nose/eyes, sneezing, sleeping more than normal, not wanting to play, and eating less. Treating a ferret with a cold is pretty much the same routine you do for yourself. Lots of fluids, a soup called Duck Soup (not made from ducks), warm bed and as long as they are eating and drinking well there should be no need to see the vet. However, if a ferret has stopped taking fluids/eating for more than 24hrs or has diarrhea you need to at least call the vet and ask questions to determine if medical treatment is needed. Dehydration is major concern as it can happen quickly and can lead to death if not treated immediately.

The same can be said for the flu. Did you know that the ferret was used to create the flu vaccine? The ferret's body system works similar to the human body. The ferret is also susceptible the Swine flu and can be fatal if not treated quickly enough. The swine flu can be fatal to the ferret if it is not managed well.

It should also be said that if a ferret already has an underlying issue such as Adrenal Disease or Insulinoma the cold/flu needs to be addressed ASAP as these diseases lower the immune system and the simple cold is not so simple in these ferrets.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Brushing Ferret Teeth

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

 

 

Have a Chittering good Day,

 

Jo

Fleas.

Being around pets, you may find that fleas can sneak in to your home if you aren’t diligent. Fleas don’t just like cats and dogs they also like other animals and if left untreated can kill smaller animals.

Did you know there are several species of fleas? The two most common ones are Ctenocephalides felis and Ctenocephalides canis. Can you figure out which animals these two species infect?

Ferrets can get fleas from a number of sources like cats and dogs. For ferrets that get to go on outings can get fleas left behind by wild animals such as squirrels and mice.

Some signs that a ferret may have fleas is scratching, chewing, and in some extreme cases hair loss. But this doesn’t always mean there are fleas present. Many ferrets will leap out of their beds from a sound sleep to vigorously nibble at their fur before going back to bed as if nothing happened. Hair loss can also be a sign of Adrenal Disease

While it may be easier to see those little buggers on Marcuz and Marylin, it is Manny that makes finding evidence of fleas harder due to his darker coloration.

Of course the best scenario is to keep the fleas off my fur kids but I am limited to what preventatives I can use on them. Most flea control products fall under the Minor Species Act of 2004 (MSA) this allows vets to prescribe medications that are often designated for dogs or cats to other species that the medication might also help.

In my case that is the use of kitten advantage flea preventative. The use of kitten advantage for kittens is to use the whole tube I only need a drop or two per ferret giving me quite a savings thankfully.

Before application the fur kids get baths with T-gel. T-gel is a shampoo that has an ingredient that basically stuns the fleas and makes it easier to wash the little buggers off the ferrets with a second shampooing with baby shampoo.

Once out of the bath all three of the ferrets go crazy drying themselves off by doing the snake dance that someday I will have a great video of it. Once they are dry then it is spa day for them. They get their teeth and coats brushed, nails clipped, and then a drop of kitten advantage.

I live in Western Pennsylvania so flea season doesn’t last year round thankfully.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Let’s Not Fry the Ferret…

The summer heat is just now starting to creep up on us here in Western PA. I have a feeling it is going to be very humid and hot this year.

Now is the time we should be preparing our pets for the coming heat.

Ferrets do not do well in temperatures over 68 degrees and like many animals do not have sweat glands to regulate their body temperature.

While dogs can pant ferret’s don’t and it is easy for them to suffer heat stroke.

Each year we hear of children and service animals (police dogs) that have been left in the car when the temperature seems reasonable outside it is slowly baking them from the inside out.

I try not to take my fur kids on outings when the temperature is going to soar well over 70 degrees and if I have to do so I have a number of things I do to keep them cool and comfortable.

1. I fill a gallon jug with water and freeze it.

2. I fill a gallon size sealable bag with enough water that it will lay flat and freeze that.

3. I have a crate fan and keep extra batteries.

4. Plan out where you have to go and the amount of time you will be at one place.

As I said I don’t take them on outings if at all possible but sometimes emergencies arise and you have to go out with your ferret.

The gallon jug of water does two things. The first is I place it in front of the crate fan so that the air is cooled and isn’t just the heated air being blown around. Yelch. Second as it melts it is a cold drink for the ferrets. Just like humans animals need to stay hydrated in the summer heat.

The frozen flat bag is placed inside the carrier with a covering over it. This gives the ferret a place to lay down and stay cool and comfortable. The cover keeps the ferret from getting too cold or having their belly stick to it.

The crate fan I have uses 2 D size batteries and can eat them up in a matter of minutes depending on how long and how high I have the fan on so it is best to have extra batteries.

By knowing how long I will be out allows me to schedule stops at places where I can let my ferrets out of their carrier and the car. One of the best places is the park and since most of the outings go past the park they get numerous chances out. I am also lucky that the local pet/farm store allows animals inside where it is air-conditioned.

The best rule of thumb is if you wouldn’t want to stay in the car with windows up leave your pet at home. For those that earn a living by helping humans then the humans need to plan for the heat.

Police dogs should have adequate water and if it is possible a gallon jug of frozen water in the back with them.

If you see a pet in distress in a car call 911 and report it.

Best Advice: If you don’t have to take your pet with you DON’T!

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Leading Up to Blog Paws: Grooming

Wow! Blog Paws is a sold out event this year that can only mean it is going to be the most awesome event ever. But then we knew that when two, count em, two ferret related organizations will be there and of course there will be more than just the Enlightened Ferret Business.

That is what a bunch of ferrets is called, a business. So now, the fur kids have to look their best and that means a mini spa day for them.

First 12 sets of nails will be clipped and three pairs of ears checked and cleaned.

The use of Ferretone will ease any resistance to that being done. Next will be the dreaded bath.

Now ferrets don’t often need baths as they are OCD about grooming and by over bathing a ferret you are actually increasing the oils on their skin that gives off the musky odor.

Only reason the kids are getting a bath is so they will look their best for arrival at the Sheraton hotel on Thursday.

Not all ferrets like the water and Marcuz goes from liking it to freak out and back in 2.3 seconds, it seems. But as long as the other two are with him, he does submit to the shampooing and rinsing.

My favorite thing is to watch them dry off, as they never think they are dry enough.

 

Manny is lucky that I don’t own a hair dryer as he is funny to watch as seen here from the last time we were at Tyson’s Corners, VA

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Update on Grace

Photo from Washington Metro Area Ferret Outreach.

Grace is off the I.V. support and is eating on her own. Her blood work is slowly improving every day but she still has a long ways to go.

She is starting to act like a ferret by exploring her surroundings and finding comfortable spots to take naps. Her favorite place seems to be on Claudia.

Don’t know the story of Grace? Check it out here

Ferrets normally sleep between 14 to 18 hours a day but I am sure that Grace is sleeping a lot longer than that as she regains her stamina and strength.

If you look you can see where she is starting to get new hair and her ribs aren’t sticking out so far any more.

Enlightened Ferret is proud to help Grace by donating a portion of our sales from Ferret Fabulous Finds Auction House 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Fur is in the Air

Silly title I know but Spring began on March 20^th this year and it is time for the ferrets to blow their coats for the first time this year. For those that don’t know ferrets shed their coats twice a year. This is known as blowing the coat.

The boys have blown their coats enough times to know that it will be daily grooming until they aren’t leaving a lot of hair on me and in the air, more likely up my nose.

Marylin on the other hand isn’t too sure of what is going on but she loves the daily grooming like the true princess she believes herself to be.

Disclaimer in accordance with FCC rules: This is my opinion about a product I received in 2010 and the replacement in 2012. There is no other compensation for this post.

The one tool I absolutely love is the FURminator®. I was lucky enough to score one at the first Blog Paws and have never looked back.

Although I had to get a replacement one since Trixie the Blood Hound decided, it would make a great chew toy and broke several of the teeth.

FURminator® was at the Salt Lake City Blog Paws and when I told them about needing to get a replacement they laughed at the fact Trixie broke the teeth on the tool and not her own. My only complaint it’s pink not one of my favorite colors but hey it is a great tool for the amount of grooming I am doing now days.

I wanted to see just how much fur came off each fur kid in one sitting. So I put a plastic baggie next to the grooming area and as the FURminator® got full, I would put the fur into the plastic bag. 

Imagine my surprise when my chubby Marylin nearly filled the bag from her 30 minutes of grooming. Most of that chub was from the amount of fur she had surrounding her little body.

 

Second place went to Marcuz with him filling his bag almost to half. What surprised me was Manny he had hardly any fur to put in the baggie. But I found out why when I went to change their bedding. He has been using one side of the blanket as his personal scratcher so now it looks like a furry blanket instead of soft baby blanket. Yes, my kids are spoiled.

I went to do groom time only to find that the FURminator® had grown legs and walked off the table. I was pretty sure it was Marcuz who had taken it as he had been trying to take it all day. The handle of the FURminator® is made from a soft rubber and I guess to him it smells good.

Looking into Marcuz’s hidey-hole I was surprised not to find it there but he was curled around his favorite mouse sound asleep. Off to the next hidey-hole that belongs to Marylin who decided it was time to play sneak attack as I looked into the basket.

Good thing I was expecting it…sort of as it is still unsettling to have just less than two pounds of fur leap up at you with paws outstretched from under the pile of toys but no FURminator®. That left Manny’s hidey-hole and looky what I found in there.

Guess I am gonna have to lock that tool up when it isn’t in use.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Did You Know…

That ferrets can be taught to walk on a leash like a dog. I get an assortment of different looks when I walk my three fur kids and the most received statement is “I didn’t know they would walk on a leash.”

Like training a dog, you have to have the right equipment.

What you need:

A harness

A belled collar

A leash

A tandem lead

Ferretone

There are different styles of harnesses to choose from and the one you choose has to fit your lifestyle. What works for me may not be the style or design you want. There are three main styles of harnesses and they are:

This is one of the cheapest one it’s made from a twisted cord that loops over the head and has a plastic slider that has a button lock making it look like one of those Bolo Ties   seen on Oil Tycoons but without the silver tips.

To make the second loop you take the line with the metal clip under the ferret’s body behind their front feet and clip it into the plastic loop on the side of the slider.

This type of leash is attractive to many first time ferret owners because of cost but the effectiveness of using this leash is almost nil. The button lock doesn’t stay locked and agile ferrets can maneuver enough to unlock it and slide it so they can walk out of the harness.

The Neoprene Harnesses are usually brightly colored and has Velcro® on the ends that go around the neck and around the body.

 

The Comfort harness is similar to the Neoprene Harness in design but also features buckles for added safety. The furkids buddy Snotface Critter wears one on his travels and Marylin wore a smaller version until she was big enough for her newest harness.

I use the H style harness mainly because it was the only style available where I live until recently when the store started adding more designs to their inventory and Most of the time you bought the harness and leash as a set. These are made from nylon webbing and are adjustable around the neck and body and has the same buckle as the comfort harness.

 

All but the string type harness have a D ring for the leash to attach to. It is important to make sure the harness fits correctly. To loose and the ferret will escape too tight and then the ferret won’t be able to breathe or move properly. Rule of thumb I use is one finger between the ferret and the harness.

Always start harness training inside.

I cannot stress this enough. First, it allows the ferret the chance to get use to having the harness on in a controlled situation. If the ferret realizes they can get out of the harness, they will do so in the safety of their home and not in the big wide world of unknowns.

Second, it lets you adjust the harness so that it is not too tight or too loose without the worry of the ferret escaping.

To Be Continued…

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Are We Jeopardizing Our Pet’s Health?

I watched The Doctors yesterday, February 27, 2013; the show was titled Guilty Pleasures Jeopardizing your Health.

I am sure most of us try to eat healthy and avoid the sugar trap. I found that many of the foods we think are healthy really aren’t. The most disturbing fact was that most of us consume 150 pounds of sugar a year. The recommended about is 34 pounds. That equals out to 6 tablespoons of sugar daily for women and men get to consume 9 tablespoons.

Most of us blow those amounts out of the water with our first can of soda or with our daily coffee intake. One can of soda has 10 tablespoons of sugar.

These facts got me thinking about our pets and how much sugar do we give them unknowingly? We know that sugar plays a role in obesity, diabetes, and it has also been suspected as part of heart disease.

Most of us know to read labels on the foods we eat and some of us have started reading the labels on our pet’s food as well. The problem is that our food is required to have a nutrition facts panel that must have specific things such as serving size, the amount servings per contain/package, and the amounts per serving and what the recommended daily value.

One of these facts is the amount of sugars. Example did you know that a serving of Cheez-It® has 0 grams of sugar.

But most pet food labels have what is called the Guaranteed Analysis.

“At minimum, many state regulations require a pet food to guarantee the minimum percentages of crude protein and crude fat, and the maximum percentages of crude fiber and moisture. The "crude" term refers to the specific method of testing the product, not to the quality of the nutrient itself.” Pet Food Labels – General

Typical Guaranteed Analysis for a Good Ferret Diet
Crude protein	38.0%
Crude fat	18.0%
Fiber	3.5%
Ash	6.5%
Moisture	10.0%

 

It is normal to see the following ingredients in ferret food.

Chicken by-products, herring meal, corn, cod fish, animal liver, dried beet pulp, brewer's dried yeast, cane molasses, salt, sodium propionate, DL-methionine, L-lysine, taurine, vitamin A, vitamin D3 supplement, vitamin E supplement, riboflavin supplement, niacin, biotin, choline chloride, folic acid, thiamine mononitrate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, BHA, vitamin B12 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (a source of vitamin K), D calcium pantothenate, manganese oxide, inositol, ascorbic acid, iron sulfate, copper sulfate, zinc oxide, cobalt carbonate, potassium iodide, sodium selenite.

You can see there is no mention of the amount of sugar on the Guarantee Analysis. For ferrets that develop Insulinoma these ingredients can play a devastating role.

One of the ingredients Brewer’s Yeast is used to lower blood sugar which is something we don’t want to do in a ferret with insulinoma as his/her blood sugar is already low due to having too much insulin in his/her blood stream.

The other ingredient is cane molasses, which is a byproduct of white sugar, and the gram amount is 55-70 per 100 grams of molasses.

Just by having these two ingredients, we are causing a blood sugar drop only to have it spike again in our ferrets.

It would be interesting to know if these two ingredients could be causing the Insulinoma to show up in so many ferrets over the age of three.

Learning what goes into our pet’s food needs to become as high of a priority as knowing what is in our own food. By learning this we can better help our pets live longer and have happier lives.

What is your opinion? Of this list of ingredients do you know what they do or where they come from?

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Wordless Wednesday: Video

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Flu Bugs and Ferrets

Having the flu sucks and this year’s flu is showing no mercy to those that get it. I know because I came down with the evil virus last week and it is still making me feel very yucky. It is also keeping me from being with my ferrets.

The CDC website reported that the current flu has increased in the last week. Meaning more humans are getting sick with this year’s strain of flu unfortunately, this doesn’t take into account the number of pets getting the flu.

Yes, I did say pets get the flu. Surprised? There is a flu vaccine for Dogs 

but not for other pets.

The flu can be very bad for the very young, the elderly, or those with compromised immune systems. Meaning it can prove to be fatal. This is true for our pets.

Did you know that you can give the flu to your pet and they can give it to you?

Because I don’t want to give this flu to Manny, Marcuz, and Marylin I am taking precautions to limit the chances of them catching the flu.

These include but not limited to:

Using hand sanitizer before and after touching them

Limiting my time in the room with them

Wearing a mask to prevent the spread of germs by sneezing or coughing

Not letting them give me kisses

While I hope, I caught it before I infected them the fact is the flu virus can show up five to seven days after exposure there is a chance they may already be infected.

This means that I will be watching for symptoms.

These include:

Watery eyes

Sneezing

Coughing

Loss of appetite

Sleeping more than normal (Sleep is a big part of a ferret’s life)

Low energy

Yep same symptoms you see in humans that have the flu and the treatment is the same. Rest and fluids and for the most part both humans and ferrets get over the flu in seven to ten days.

The concern comes when a ferret doesn’t eat or drink anything in a forty-eight hour period as they can rapidly become dehydrated.

I have a supply of duck soup . (Duck soup does not contain duck but was named for a ferret named Lucky Duck)   in the freezer for those times I need to have a liquid diet for my ferrets. I make up a small batch every other month and pour the liquid into ice trays. Once frozen I cut the cubes into fourths.

Duck soup should be in all ferret owners’ supplies. There are several powdered brands out there as many recipes for making it from scratch.

When one of the furkids gets sick I defrost one of the small cubes, which is usually all a sick ferret wants to eat at a time until they are feeling better. If a ferret isn’t interested in food and has stopped drinking for a period of time or has immune issues it is time to make an appointment with the vet.

With their small systems the flu can rapidly turn into pneumonia causing other complications. This means while I am sick I am unable to play with my kids and will have to make it up to them when I finally kick this nasty bug’s butt out of my system I would rather they be healthy and happy than to have to be nursing them back to health.

Stay Healthy and Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Guest Post: A Ferret's Five Welfare Needs

 

Ferrets are inquisitive animals that require considerable attention and care. If they are regularly handled by humans from a young age, they can form strong bonds with their owners and become as good a companion as a cat or a dog. Ferrets display a range of playful behaviours and this renders them a fun pet to have around the house. If well cared for, they can live as long as ten years. However, their average lifespan is around six years.

When ferrets are not adequately cared for, they suffer from boredom. This can result in a variety of physical and psychological problems.

Understanding the Needs of Ferrets
Ferrets are domesticated mammals. Wild European and Steppe polecats are likely to be their ancient ancestors. However, since no wild counterpart is believed to exist, scientists are still finding out about ferrets' habitats, behaviours and needs.

Owning a Ferret
Looking after a ferret is highly satisfying and can bring with it many treasured memories. However, ferret ownership can also prove a challenge. The long-term commitment associated with ferret ownership is not to be underestimated and this is particularly true of the financial cost. Anyone who owns or is responsible for a ferret, even temporarily, is required by law to adequately care for the animal by ensuring that its five welfare needs are met. These responsibilities are detailed under the Animal Welfare Act, which was introduced in England and Wales in 2007.

A Ferret's Five Welfare Needs
No two ferrets are the same and for this reason, there is no ideal way in which to look after this animal. While one ferret owner’s circumstances may differ greatly to those of another, an owner must ensure that their ferret’s five essential needs are met. The way in which these needs are met may vary. However, all ferret owners must take reasonable action to ensure that they provide their animals with
• a suitable place in which to live;
• a nutritious diet and uninhibited access to clean water;
• the chance to behave as they normally would;
• the chance to seek out appropriate company;
• protection against, and treatment for, pain, injury, suffering and disease.

Disclaimer: This is a compensated post and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Enlightened Ferret. It is also from the stand point of those that own ferrets in the United Kingdom and the post does have UK spelling.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Updated 7/16/14: Removal of dead links

The Flu Isn’t Just For Humans

It’s here that wonderful fall season which also brings with it the not so wonderful influenza virus better known as the flu. The flu is no fun for us humans but what many don’t realize is that we can give the flu to others species.

Ferrets are susceptible to all strains of the flu virus, which also includes the swine flu. Unfortunately, there is no flu shot for ferrets. The flu can be transmitted from human to ferret or from ferret to human.

When I have a cold, I take extra precautions to prevent giving it to my ferrets. This includes using hand sanitizer before and after touching any of my fur kids, along with wearing a mask to limit the amount of germs I breathe onto them.

I also monitor them for any flu like symptoms such as:

• Any discharge from the nose or eyes.
• Sneezing
• Coughing
• Loss of appetite
• Weakness and lethargy
• Fever Normal temperature range is 101-103 degrees
• Puffy eyes

Sound familiar? Yep they are the same symptoms we get when we get a cold/flu. For many ferrets, having the flu isn’t a big deal but for those with depressed immune systems due to disease or being a senior having the flu can lead to complications such as pneumonia can prove to be fatal.

Any ferret that has stopped eating/drinking for more than a day or two and/or has a weakened immune system needs to be seen by their vet to evaluate and treat the ferret accordingly.

Like humans, most ferrets will recover from their cold/flu in five to fourteen days.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Heat Kills

 

It is summer in the United States and the temperatures are soaring to high numbers. I have talked about this before but it bears repeating. Ferrets do not do well in temps over 68 degrees.

That means traveling is curtailed until the temps are lower or find ways to make it uneventful. But it also means making the home comfortable as well.

I live in Pennsylvania and the house I live in does not have air condition. While I do use fans to cool off the boy’s area it isn’t always enough. I get asked about the two thermometers in their room. One is by their cage and the other is on the wall near the window.

This way I know what the temperature is near the outside wall and by their cage. This allows me to implement my summer plan as needed.

The first thing I do starting in May unless it has been warmer in April is to start making frozen water bottles. I usually have 5 to 8 bottles made by June. These are covered in clean socks that have lost their mate. These are made from 2 liter soda bottles, gallon water/milk jugs, and 12-16 oz bottles that have held soda/tea/water.

Keeping an eye on the thermometers I know when to place these premade ice blocks in strategic places such as in front of the fan and in an area where the boys can climb over them while playing. When the temp in front of their cage reaches 65 degrees I place a worn towel in the cage with one of the gallon jugs. This gives the boys a place to sleep/cool off and the towel absorbs the condensation.

While we are traveling it is a bit harder to make sure the boys don’t get overheated. It got warm in Utah while we were at Blog Paws and stayed warm all the way home. But I had made a purchase of crate fan and extra batteries.

Also the Ferret Chariot has air conditioning. The boy’s crate was placed on the back seat in the center so that the crate received a good amount of the cool air from the air conditioner and the crate fan was on high for most of the trip.

In both cases the boys get frequent rub downs with soaked washcloths to help them maintain their temperature.

There is a wonderful product on the market now but it is only made for dogs called the Chill Spot. We are hopeful that they will be able to downsize their product for cats and ferrets as all pets need a place to chill out.

Remember Heat Kills within moments. Never take your pet for a ride and then leave them locked in the car while doing errands. Even with the windows cracked your car is an oven baking your pet from the inside out. What a cruel death. Show your love by leaving them home where they can stay cool and alive.

Disclaimer:  I received no compensation for mentioning Chill Spot in my post. It is my opinion that this is a cool invention and hope to see them succeed in the pet market.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Traveling With Ferrets Part 3

If you are a long term reader you know that the boys and I are getting ready for a road trip to Utah to attend the Blog Paws conference.

For those just now finding this blog check a few of the earlier posts.

What many people don’t realize is that you need to have a health
certificate for any pet traveling across state lines or around the world. These are obtained from you vet.

Many of us pet owners have a tendency to spell out going to the vet because Fido or Puss have learned that isn’t a fun place to go. I tell the boys where we are going and why. I am sure many will say that they are just animals and don’t understand. I disagree. I have found that by telling my two boys what is going on reduces the amount of stress they have.

So on Wednesday Manny and Marcuz had their vet visit with their vet Dr. DoverSpike. We had to make the appointment in May as Dr. DoverSpike is very popular and is well versed in ferret care.

Both the boys had a physical that Marcuz wasn’t overly happy with and decided he wanted to let doc know it. Marcuz took a nip at him but Dr. DoverSpike was ready for Marcuz and all that happened was a small pinch.

Manny and Marcuz also got vaccinated for rabies and distemper. Unlike dogs and cats who can get a three year rabies shot. Ferrets should be vaccinated every year.

Ferrets can also contract distemper from canines. Depending on how many ferrets a veterinarian clinic treats they might have ferret distemper vaccine but because the Franklin Animal Clinic only sees a few ferrets they don’t keep  the ferret distemper vaccine on hand because it goes bad more often than it is given. Thankfully ferrets can be vaccinated with canine distemper vaccine.

Both boys got vaccinated by the tech. Unfortunately it was given in the hind end. When Manny got certified as a therapy ferret he was given his vaccinations in the scruff of his neck. I am not sure if there is a reason for what location is used or if it was just easier for the tech to given the shots in the butt.

Some ferrets react badly to vaccinations so it is always a good idea to stick around the clinic for 30 minutes encase they do have a reaction. This is also true for ferrets that have never had a reaction before. The old adage “Better safe than sorry.” applies here.

I also discussed heartworm preventative with Dr. DoverSpike which surprised him that I even knew that ferrets could get heartworms and I found out that in our area there is almost no heartworm issue and the two dogs a year he treats often have relocated from down south to the area. But he did look up what is recommended as a heartworm preventive for ferrets. I was surprised to learn that one of them is a topical application of revolution.

Dr. DoverSpike gave my boys the best compliment which was that they were the most well behaved, calm ferrets he has ever seen.

So now the boys are truly ready for the road trip to Utah. Blog Paws here we come! Salt Lake City you ain’t seen nothing yet.

Have a chittering good day,

Jo

Ferrets and Biting

 

Like most animals ferrets have teeth. They are similar to that of a cat and can do a lot of damage if the ferret isn’t trained correctly to prevent bites.

Owning a ferret means you are the one responsible for how a ferret will react in certain situations.

Most sites tell you different ways of dealing with a bitey ferret. The one thing that I agree with is Never flick the end of a ferret’s nose to get them to stop biting. They will only see this as playing and will continue to bite.

Rules to prevent bites:

1. Never rough house with your ferret. I am guilty of this but my boys know that it is okay to gently nibble on my fingers only. But I also know how each boy will react. When I had Lance I never rough housed with him because he couldn’t hear me tell him no and when he bit it was hard.

2. Wash your hands after eating. This is common sense for a number of reasons. It keeps nasty germs from the ferret and it washes away the scent of food. Remember ferrets are curious creatures and want to know what everything is. Ferrets also have a great sense of smell and if it smells like food they want a taste.

3. Never startle or scare your ferret. This isn’t always possible. I try hard to make sure Marcuz feels me coming by stomping on the floor but sometimes he is just to intent on what he is doing and I surprise him.

4. Use a bitter tasting agent if your ferret is prone to biting for whatever reason. I had to make a red pepper spray for James as he loved the taste of bitter apple. I also keep hand sanitizer for those that want to pet the boys while we are out in public.

To get a ferret to release its hold you can scruff the ferret and wait for the yawn to happen. This works with most ferrets. Lance never let go when he got a hold of something he wanted. It would always take two people. Me scruffing since I was usually the one with his teeth sunk in and one to gently pry his jaws apart.

Yes I have scars from Lance’s bites but I learned a lot from each episode and the causes. Him being deaf had a great impact on how hard he bit. If you get a young ferret you can train them not to bite by doing like their momma would have done.

You scruff them by the back of the neck and drag them across the floor a short distance while saying NO in a loud firm voice. If I did it you would hear me hissing like a ferret. I’ve been around them to long to change that habit…not that I would want to.

Have a Chittering Good Day,

Jo

Ferret and the Flea

 

 

 

If you have been around pets then you know that fleas can be a part of that life if you aren’t diligent to keep them off of your beloved animals. Ferrets are no exception. Only with ferrets it only takes a few fleas to be fatal as the fleas feed off the ferret’s blood.

There are several species of fleas, which I didn’t know, and depending on a ferret’s environment can be any one or a mixture of them. Ferrets that go outside can attract the fleas from wild animals. But most ferrets get fleas from cats (Ctenocephalides felis species) or dogs (Ctenocephalides canis species) that live with them.

The most common sign that a ferret has fleas is them scratching, chewing, and in some cases hair loss. But those are also signs of the mysterious jump out of a sound sleep and nibble the fur before going back to bed like nothing happened. The hair loss is also associated with Adrenal disease.

Dark colored ferrets like Manny also make it hard to see those pesky biting critters. The best bet is to use a preventative flea control. But there aren’t a lot of flea control options out there. Most flea control products fall under the Minor Species Act of 2004 (MSA). The MSA allows vets to prescribe medications that are designated as dog/cat or other species to those that they will help such as domestic exotics.

For me that means I use kitten advantage, most other flea preventatives are too toxic for ferrets, once a month but unlike the directions say of putting the whole tube on I only need to put a drop or two. With the cost of a single tube being $12 or more this does save me as a tube will last me for 3-4 months.

Before I apply the kitten advantage I give the boys a bath with T-gel. The T-gel has ingredients that stun and stick to the fleas making it easy to wash the little buggers off of the boys. I then follow up with baby shampoo to make sure I have gotten all of the T-gel off.

I then let the boys dry off. If I can ever get a really good video of the boys doing the snake dance I will post it. Once dry it is spa day. They get their teeth and coats brushed, nails clipped, and then a drop of kitten advantage.

Because I live in Western Pennslyvannia the flea season doesn’t last all year round very often. The cold makes the fleas go into a sort of hibernation I suppose or maybe it kills them.

How to Clip a Ferret’s Nails

 

 

 

Have a Chittering Good Day,

 

Jo