Your ferret needs a moderate amount of brushing, clipping, bathing and dental cleaning in order to stay fit and healthy.

A complete grooming routine for your ferret includes:

Daily Combing and Brushing - This helps keep her coat sleek and shiny, allows you to catch the first symptoms of parasites or disease, reduces problems associated with shedding, and minimizes the potential for intestinal blockages caused by hairballs.

Ear Cleaning - You should check your ferret's ears once a week and clean them once a month to remove dirt and excess wax buildup and to check for parasites.

Dental Hygiene - Keep your ferret's teeth clean and 

healthy by placing cat or ferret toothpaste on a small piece of cloth and rubbing her teeth with it. If she allows it, gradually introduce a small pet or child's toothbrush.

Occasional Bathing - Your ferret should only be bathed once every four to six months, unless she has got into something and is so dirty only a bath will help.

What Kind of Brush Works Best?

Brushing your ferret is a simple process and requires minimal equipment. Here's what you'll need:

A soft nylon pin or soft wire slicker brush. The nylon pin brush works best with short-haired ferrets; the wire slicker brush is recommended for longer-haired ferrets such as the Angoras or European Long Hairs. Or you can use both brushes: first the slicker brush to remove dead hair, then the pin brush to stimulate the skin.

A flea or other fine-tooth comb. These combs have very fine, close-set teeth and are used to find and trap fleas. They're also excellent for removing dead fur during the molting season.

Establish a Brushing Routine

Get your ferret used to brushing and combing when she's a kit so grooming becomes a pleasant experience and the two of you develop a bond of trust and friendship. Even if you acquire your ferret when she's older, with a little patience and plenty of praise and rewards you can train her to enjoy her brushing routine.

Brushing Procedure

Use this procedure to brush your ferret:

*Hold your ferret down firmly. A good way to do this is to grasp her by the loose skin on the scruff of her neck.

*Brush in the direction of hair growth using soft, gentle strokes.

*Use a slicker brush to remove the loose, dead hair and help prevent hairballs from forming, especially during the molting seasons.

*Follow this up with a bristle brush to stimulate the skin, get the natural oils flowing and add extra luster to your ferret's coat.

*Finally, use a flea or other fine-tooth comb to search for and trap fleas, and to remove any loose hair that still remains.

Cleaning Your Ferret's Ears

At least once a week after you've brushed and combed your ferret, it's a good idea to check her ears. Cleaning your ferret's ears on a regular basis - at least once a month - reduces the risk of infection and ear mites.

To clean her ears, you'll need some cotton swabs and an ear-cleaning solution approved by your veterinarian. Here's how to clean your ferret's ears:

*Hold your ferret by the scruff of her neck or have someone else help hold her down on your lap or tabletop.

*Place a few drops of the cleaning solution in your ferret's ears.

*Massage the ears gently to help loosen the wax and dirt from the inner ear.

*Allow your ferret to shake her head vigorously as this brings the wax and dirt to the outer part of the ear.

*Dip a cotton swab in the cleaning solution and clean the outer part of the ear, then use the dry end of the swab to soak up excess moisture. DO NOT insert the cotton swab in your ferret's ear as this could cause damage to her eardrum.

*Repeat with fresh swabs until you've removed most of the wax and dirt.

Signs of Trouble

Take your ferret to the vet immediately if:

Your ferret's ears are red with brown, green or yellow discharge and a bad odor. Chances are it's an ear infection. She may also try to scratch or shake her head, or try to rub her ears against the floor.

The wax from her ears is dark brown or black. This means your ferret has ear mites and needs to be treated, along with any other pets in the house. 

Like cats, ferrets are fastidious self-groomers, licking their fur constantly. In the process, loose and dead hair sticks to your ferret's tongue and is swallowed. Also like cats, your ferret can't digest this hair as her stomach lacks the enzyme to break down the protein in the hair. Instead, the stomach's digestive juices cause the hair to stick together and you get the hairball - a mixture of hair fibers, digestive juices and stomach acid. Many commercial hairball remedies are available in various flavors your ferret will consider a treat.  

These hairballs continue to grow in your ferret's intestinal tract until they start to interfere with her ability both to digest food and eliminate waste products. Unlike a cat, however, your ferret cannot regurgitate the hairball and instead will eventually suffer an intestinal blockage.

Symptoms of an intestinal blockage in your ferret include:

*A persistent cough or choking not accompanied by a runny nose or watery eyes

*Attempts at vomiting without bringing anything up

*A very thin, almost hair-like stool

*Bloating

If you suspect your ferret has an intestinal blockage, contact your veterinarian immediately, as these blockages can be fatal if not treated in time.

Preventing Hairball Intestinal Blockage

While you should be on the lookout for intestinal blockage symptoms all year round, the crucial time for hairball intestinal blockages is during your ferret's shedding period. This takes place twice a year, in the early spring and fall, and lasts for about three weeks. During this time, your ferret may ingest large amounts of hair while self-grooming.

The simplest way to reduce the amount of hair ingested is through daily combing and brushing. This will remove any loose or dead hair that may otherwise end up in your ferret's stomach. Make sure you brush and comb right down to the skin to pick up as much hair as possible.

Many commercial hairball remedies are available in various flavors your ferret will consider a treat.

Ferret Paw Care

*Any small animal nail clipper will be fine for your ferret. The best have replaceable blades so as not to crush the nail. Make sure the blade is sharp and replace it if it's not. If the cutter is sharp, the nails won't be pulled or cracked.

*Before cutting your ferret's nails, look carefully to locate the "quick", which is the pink line inside the nail. The quick is a blood vessel that will bleed and cause pain if it is nicked. Ordinarily, you want to trim the nail a little bit longer than the quick.

*Use an emery board or nail file after you've trimmed the nail to help prevent splitting and to keep the nail from catching on cloth surfaces and carpeting.

Approaches to Clipping

Your ferret won't normally stand still to have his nails clipped. He will squirm and twist and generally make it very difficult for you; however, over time, he may accept and enjoy getting his nail trimmed - if only for the extra attention he's getting from you. There are a couple of different approaches to clipping your ferret's nails. You should experiment to discover which one's best for you.

*Get a helper: Have your assistant hold the ferret by the scruff of the neck. It may be helpful if your helper has a treat or has a few drops of a vitamin supplement on their finger as this may keep your ferret occupied long enough to trim his nails. Sometimes the treat is not necessary but always reward them with one when you are done.

*Bribe your ferret: Use a vitamin supplement that he loves. Hold the ferret on your lap, lay him on his back and put a few drops of the vitamin supplement on his stomach and show him where it is. Start clipping while he is busy licking.

How to Cut Your Ferret's Nails

If you have never trimmed your ferret's nails before, it is recommended to have a veterinarian or someone who is experienced in working with and grooming ferrets show you how to do it correctly the first time. It's important to know how to cut nails correctly as it will help you avoid hurting your ferret and, therefore, make the experience much more positive for both of you.

*Clip carefully, cut parallel to where the floor will be when your ferret stands, to prevent the tip from breaking off at a later time.

*If the nail is long, don't try to clip it all at once. Nip away at it gradually.

*Smooth any rough edges with an emery board, nail file or rasp.

*If you're having trouble seeing the quick, stop at the point where the nail curves downward towards the floor.

*Occasionally, you may accidentally cut the quick. Your 

ferret will scream, you might jump and the toe will bleed. Keep a styptic pencil handy to clot the blood quickly. Or use clotting powder on a moist cotton swab. If you don't have either, hold a piece of tissue paper or paper towel over the nail and keep the foot elevated until the bleeding stops. If the nail continues to bleed longer than a few minutes, it's a good idea to consult with your veterinarian.

Catching a Nail

If your ferret does snag his nail against something:

*Hold him by the scruff of the neck so that he doesn't try to bite you while angry and upset.

*Free the nail and check out the damage.

*If the nail has been torn out beyond the quick or completely ripped out of the nail bed, stop the bleeding and take him to your veterinarian immediately.

*If the nail is broken but hasn't been ripped out, stop the bleeding, clip and file any shredded pieces and clean with hydrogen peroxide. If the area continues to bleed, seek veterinary attention.