|
Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2015 23:21:43 GMT -5
Hi!
As I said earlier I'm a new ferret mom and I'm learning about bathing my ferrets. The more I read, the more I hear that I shouldn't bother unless they roll in mud, dirty, or have poo all over them.
Want to know what others on this form think. Thank you!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2015 0:09:32 GMT -5
I regularly do a "dip" where I take ferret shampoo and mix it in warm water until it's dissolved and then dip the ferrets in it, splash them, and let them dry themselves. It takes off some of the oil on their coat and the smell, while not drying them out.
|
|
|
Post by FerretsnFalcons on Jun 17, 2015 0:17:05 GMT -5
Hi, and welcome to the HFF! Congrats on your new fuzzies! (dance) Using shampoo when bathing strips the coat of oil (same goes for human hair!). The ferret's body then tries to establish equilibrium by overproducing oil. Bathing your ferrets too much can lead to increased smell, dry skin, or oily skin. Plus, shampoos can contain chemicals that are not healthy for sensitive ferret skin. I have never bathed my ferrets because I have never needed to, but I would if they got into something super dirty. Even then, shampoo may not be needed. You can let your ferrets swim in water whenever they want to because generally it's the shampoo that causes the problems.
|
|
|
Post by RedSky on Jun 17, 2015 2:23:27 GMT -5
I have a disabled ferret who due to his condition often ends up covered in his own faeces or if he decides to drag himself through the puppy pads it's not pretty. Even so I only ever wash him with warm water, it might not seem the most hygienic thing but it does the job and we've not had any problems. Not to mention the amount that I have to wash him (sometimes 3 times a day, usually a few times a week) that much soap wouldn't do him any good at all. My female I've had for 6 months, I've not washed her yet, that doesn't mean they haven't had water play in the shower or a tub of water. My other male has had one bath with medicated shampoo prescribed by our vet to treat a skin issue. Even then she insisted I only wash him the once, as washing him multiple times is going to make his skin worse. Again he does get water play and the vet said plain water is fine.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2015 3:27:52 GMT -5
To be honest, I only gave my baby 1 bath. On his second day home because he rolled in his own poop XDD but I keep away from bathing all together. They don't tend to smell THAT bad, but some people like giving their ferrets a bath. Its really up to you as long as its only once a month. Sometimes I just fill the tub enough to cover Sherlock's toes so he can play in the water a bit, and thats as much of a bath as he gets once a month
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2015 6:53:43 GMT -5
I don't bathe mine. I let a couple of mine have "showers," which is just them playing in the tub with the showerhead on, since they enjoy it. No soap or anything.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using proboards
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2015 9:22:51 GMT -5
Mine love to play in water. However, I only bathe them if necessary. If I suspect fleas or someone gets into something and needs a bath.
|
|
|
Post by Heather on Jun 17, 2015 11:13:16 GMT -5
Mine play in water but the only ferrets I've actually washed were the hobs, once in awhile. The problem with that is their supply of oils is so great that they're gummy the next day so it's really a waste of time. Normally, they just play in the water and that rinses them off enough. As far as bathing.....not unless they've rolled in something disgusting or I have a sickie who needs to be rinsed to get the urine or stools off ciao
|
|
|
Post by crazylady on Jun 17, 2015 13:07:09 GMT -5
Hi I never bathe well I did once lol when a ferret escaped in the house and ended up covered in soot up the chimney !!! lol take care bye for now Bev
|
|
|
Post by Blue on Jun 17, 2015 13:39:03 GMT -5
They're basically like cats in that regard: self-cleaning unless an Unfortunate Incident occurs -- like when my sister's cat came home covered in sewage.
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2015 17:09:53 GMT -5
Definitely bath time for that cat ! My Didi was the only ferret that i could hold under the shower head. I think she was mesmerized by the jets hitting her and the warm water. It was not a bath just a little play time--mostly for me
|
|
|
Post by Blue on Jun 17, 2015 17:23:32 GMT -5
Definitely bath time for that cat! My Didi was the only ferret that i could hold under the shower head. I think she was mesmerized by the jets hitting her and the warm water. It was not a bath just a little play time--mostly for me Apparently he howled at the top of his voice the whole time, and he's a Bengal, so that's really loud. He didn't once try to bite or scratch them though (sis + husband), which I thought was pretty impressive! I have to admit I've been kind of looking forward to the day I "have" to bathe Maisie. It shouldn't be too traumatic for her -- she quite likes water. But it looks like it isn't happening any time soon!
|
|
|
Post by Deleted on Jun 18, 2015 4:21:15 GMT -5
' would like to have seen that. I had to look up Bengal cat on Google --always thought it was some wild cat in the jungle(Bengal tiger). Have to say--- it is very pretty. Do they have a lot of personality? Always did like the siamese after a stray came to our house years ago. It followed my son around and was very vocal. (Oh dear, have a fancy for a cat now)
|
|
|
Post by unclejoe on Jun 18, 2015 11:35:01 GMT -5
since we have 8, even tho we change bedding weekly, eventually they get a little...strong? We bathe them maybe every 6-8 weeks. It's almost mandatory since fleas are active all year here. We have tried about every flea/tick treatment. We use a gentle shampoo and a conditioner. They don't love it, but they get used to it. I think that using conditioner returns some of the moisture to the skin and fur so they don't have to overcompensate with their own oils.
|
|
|
Post by Blue on Jun 18, 2015 16:16:42 GMT -5
Sorry to clutter up the washing thread with cats! Yeah, Bengals have a ton of personality. They act more like dogs than cats, rather like Siamese. They also get into a lot of trouble -- they're kind of the polecat hybrid of the cat world. They're also loners and generally hate other cats.
I do have a ferret-washing comment! Yesterday I let Maisie dig in the garden, and forgot to clean her paws (a damp washcloth is usually enough). I only realized it after she headed to my chest of drawers for a nap. I was imagining mud all over my underwear, and kept hearing in my head: "Keep your filthy paws / Off my silky drawers" which is not only true but has a double meaning (drawers!).
|
|