Giving Your Ferret a Bath
March 25th 2009 16:02
Ferrets are not always the best smelling critters in the world, but there's not much you can do about it. Typically, their scent glands are already removed by the time you purchase your ferret from the pet store or breeder, but that doesn't mean that your ferret still won't smell.
The natural oils that the ferret's body produces is what causes the stink, and even if you give the ferret a bath, the oils will reduce for a day or so, but then they will return, as bathing your ferret will actually stimulate oil production.
In order to keep your ferret clean, make sure that you keep the cage and litter box clean, even if that means multiple cleanings a day.
Otherwise, you can bathe your ferret, just make sure that it's not very often, as you do not want to dry him out. A good bath frequency is about once every two or three months. You can use baby wipes or ferret wipes to help keep your ferret clean in-between baths, which is great as your ferret will probably get into some kind of mess.
You want to purchase a shampoo that is made specifically for ferrets. Try the Marshall's Original Formula with Baking Soda or the Marshall Pet No-Tears Formula Ferret Shampoo
When bathing your ferret, your ferret may or may not take to it very well. For the first few baths, you'll want to take it easy so that any future baths are as stress-free as possible. Keep an upbeat tone and try not to get frustrated. You can include water-proof toys and some of your ferret's favorite treats to make bath time more enjoyable.
You can use a bathtub, sink, or any convenient location. You want to have just enough water that your ferret is mostly submerged but is still able to touch the bottom. You may want to use a rubber mat to provide your ferret with good footing and grip on the sink or tub.
When washing your ferret, make sure to support him properly so that he doesn't slip, and again, here is were the rubber grips work well.
Make sure that the water is lukewarm and not too hot. You want to lather the body really well, but make sure that you avoid getting shampoo in the ferrets eyes and ears. Rinse thoroughly. You may have to empty the sink or tub a few times and refill with fresh water to make sure that you've removed all of the shampoo from your ferret's coat. You do not want to leave any shampoo, as this can dry and cause irritation to the skin.
When drying your ferret, you can use a Ferret Drying Sack, or you can just use a regular towel. Typically, ferrets dry pretty quickly, but you want to make sure that they don't get cold while drying off.
Unless the cage is freshly cleaned, you don't want to put your ferret in his cage to dry because the ferret will just run around the dirty cage and get dirty again. You may consider just putting a few towels in the bathtub, and just letting the ferret run around in the bathtub. Some ferrets will even tolerate a hair dryer, but in this case, you want to keep it on low and at least a foot away from the ferret.
Bathing your ferret can be a challenge, just try to make it as stress-free as you can.
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