5 of 5

Write now Article Tools

Ferrets start their lives with 'milk teeth', at around 7-10 weeks these teeth fall out and are replaced with teeth that will be used throughout their adult lives so it's very important to keep these teeth in a good, healthy condition.

Plaque is very common in ferrets and if not treated can lead to tartar which can then lead to gum diseases such as gingivitus and periodontitis.

Gum disease effects the whole mouth and needs veterinary dental surgery immediately. The gums will be painful, smelly and can bleed. The gums and roots can also rot which can cause the teeth to fall out. If gum disease goes untreated it can spread into the ferrets bloodstream and attack all it's vital organs.

Signs that a ferret has gum disease include:

Bad breath

Being off it's food/refusing to eat/eating less/weight loss

Red lines across the gums

Bleeding from the gums

Nuzzling and rubbing mouth area.

There is one simple way to avoid this unpleasent and costly situation and that is to brush the ferrets teeth regularly with a specialised ferret toothbrush and toothpaste (never use human toothpaste as this is poisonous to a ferret). The toothbrush and toothpaste clean plaque from the teeth, and the anti bacterial formular destorys the plaque. These can be purchased at all good pet stores or over the internet. Finger toothbrushes seems to work well too. Brushing should take place around once a week. If the owner has a good relationship with the ferret then it can be relatively easy to massage the animals cheeks and gradually work their way into the ferrets mouth with the brush, without distress. If the ferret resists (which most do!) then the owner should scruff them, which keeps the animal calm and still.

If too much tartar has accumilated on the teeth, it can't be brushed away, it will need removing by dental surgery.

Another way to make sure a ferrets teeth are in good condition is to take it to the vets for a dental check up on a yearly basis. If the vet discovers that the ferret does have sufficent plauque and tartar build up (but not yet gum disease) then they will perform ' dental prophylaxis' on it, which is a procedure to clean the teeth. The ferret is put under an anesthetic and the procedure lasts 20-30 minutes.

Ferrets can eat moist or dry food but dry food is better for the teeth (it is less harsh on the teeth and is a natural way of cleaning the teeth). Ferrets should also be encouraged to chew on toys and healthy chew sticks to aid natural dental cleaning.

Learn more about this author, princess doodah.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about How to care for a ferret's teeth?
We want to hear your view. Write now!