by princess doodah

Created on: February 12, 2009   Last Updated: March 06, 2009

If you own a ferret you will have to learn how to clip his nails. Much alike many animals a ferrets nails grow quickly and need to be clipped every 2-3 weeks. Regular walks can file the nails down but eventually the time will come when nail clipping needs to take place.

If you have a friendly and trusting relationship the process can be relatively easy, however most ferrets are wriggly and independent in which case nail clipping can be a struggle!

First of all put a towel on your lap and place your ferret on top of it. Pet and make your ferret feel as normal as possible. If you don't panic, he wont panic. Whilst doing so examine each of his nails. Ferrets have blood vessels in their nails (just the same as dogs) called a 'quick' and it is essential that you cut his nails at the right length. If you get it wrong you will cause your ferret great pain and the nail will bleed, leading to possible infection. You should always have styptic powder at hand, which encourages blood clotting which in turn stops the blood from coming out of the nail. If bleeding continues you should seek vetinary assistance right away.

If your ferret has white or light nails (most do) it will be easy to locate the quick which will be the black area. However if your ferret has dark nails it is a guessing game. You should cut around a centimetre from the tip.

Take your time and use a pair of sharp and quality clippers. Distract your ferret by placing him on his back and putting treats (or ferretone which is a skin and coat food supplement that ferrets absolutely love) on his tummy, or getting somebody to feed him treats whilst you clip. If either of these methods fail you should hold the ferret by the scruff. The scruff is a baggy piece of skin on the back of the neck, it is where the mother would carry them around when they were babies. It may look uncomfortable and painful but it's really not, infact the ferret will feel calm, comforted and will be much easier to handle.

You should clip each nail about half a centemetre away from the quick and clip it horizontally, so when his foot touches the floor the nail is flat on the floor. Cutting nails at the wrong angle could cause your ferret to have walking issues.

After nail clipping has taken place you should praise your ferret and give him treats, therefore hopefully making it easier for you and him next time.

Of course if this is not your cup of tea you could always take him to the vets to get clipped!

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