Young ferrets toenail

Question
I am a first time ferret owner and recently purchased a little boy ferret about a month ago. He is perfectly healthy and really enjoyable. About two weeks into ownership, I noticed his back, right foot had a missing toenail. Since then I've kept an eye on it and it doesn't seem to bother him at all. He walks and plays normally. Anyways, I've began to observe that the nail has started to regrow except it looks twisted and brown. I live in California and know that vets here can treat my ferret but I am hesitant. My main concern is: Is this a matter to take to the vet or can it be left alone?

Also:
- I've heard that many people tell a ferret's age by its teeth ... are there other methods?
- Is constant (i mean CONSTANT. he always is scratching when he wakes up or during grooming) scratching and biting/grooming normal? i've checked for fleas and bugs but failed to find any. is this just normal ferret behavior?
- what's "normal" poo supposed to be for a ferret? my ferret gets light brown stools to dark brown stools and i was wondering if this color range was normal or if its signaling a vet visit.

p.s. i've purchased the well known ferret handbook for dummies. it's very helpful in its ways but it just doesnt answer some questions, you know?


Answer
Hi Ariane:

Congrats on your new ferret! As long as that toenail isn't long enough that it is catching on things, it will be just fine. Just remember to trim it when you do his other ones, about every 10 days or so, and cut them just above the red line you can see in the nail - don't leave any sharp areas sticking out that will catch and rip it off again - no doubt that's what happened before he got to you. A toe nail that has been ripped out can bleed a LOT, so do watch it closely and it might be a good idea to keep a stytic pencil on hand (like men use for shaving accidents - buy it in the shaving aisle of the store) OR you can dip your ferret's food into a little bowl of corn starch (kitchen item) and that will help stop the bleeding too.

Yes, you can tell a ferret's *general* age by it's teeth, especially in the baby months and first year. A vet can determine because they know when certain teeth come in and that can get pretty accurate. After that, they can only go by approximate ages according to how opaque a tooth is, as adult ferret teeth get more and more opaque from the tip to the gumline each year; again, it takes a pretty experienced owner or vet to make the determination.

Extreme scratching really isn't a ferret attribute. I've heard others talk about lots of scratching, but of all the ferrets I've had, the only ones I've had who scratch are the ones who have adrenal disease. If the ferret is 2 to 3 years old,  it's a good possibility that an itchy ferret has adrenal disease and a vet visit is in order. Surgical removal of the adrenal gland is the only CURE for it and it does cure it completely.  Fleas are another reason for scratching, as is too frequent bathing or not rinsing thoroughly from bathing.

"Normal" ferret poo can be any color of brown, because it is generally a direct reflection of the food the ferret is eating. If you are feeding a mixture of two or more foods, this could cause a change in lighter foods one day, darker the next, but it's really the amount and consistency we worry about the most.  By amount, I mean that if the poops are very skinny or scant,short and spaghetti-like can mean there is a blockage in the lower bowel. Blockages give very little warning before they become fatal. Skinny poops always mean "HURRY TO THE VET
; the ferret could require anything from an enema to a supervised bulk laxative treatment, to surgical removal of the blockage. The vet can only know which to use AFTER he uses a barium xray to determine exactly where the blockage is and how large it is, then determine what the possibility is that the ferret can pass it himself or not. Blockages are one thing owners need to take a "TO THE VET!" attitude towards. Many many ferrets die unnecessarily because the owner decided to take a 'wait and see' attitude.

The other poop to be concerned about is diarrhea. Ferrets are very small and it doesn't take much for them to dehydrate and a ferret can go from healthy to diarrhea to dead in 24 hours. It's imperative that owners monitor ferret literboxes throughout the day. As soon as diarrhea starts, an owner needs to start to give supplemental fluids. I like to give warm water with a few drops of Ferretone or Vivify dribbled on top to encourage them to drink. I also (since my kids love Hill's A/D "soup") make some Hill's "soup" for them and offer it every couple hours. I crush a Pepto Bismol caplet between two spoons till it's a powder, then add enough Ferretone or Vivify to make a liquid and stir it around in the spoon with a toothpick and offer it to them to calm their tummy and ease the diarrhea. My kids take this pretty well.One of my kids has IBS (irritable bowel syndrome) and has to take Pepto daily.

There are some great online websites about general ferret information - here are a few:

GENERAL INFO - ALL TOPICS: (PERFECT FOR FOLKS CONSIDERING OR NEW OWNERS)
* www.thechipster.com/fert-man.html   <----------BEST!!
* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferret#See_also
* http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ferret_school/ferretschool_aboutfe...
* http://www.ferretcentral.org  & scroll down to topic necessary
* http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ferret_school/ferretschool_aboutfe...
* http://www.craftycreatures.com/forferretsonly/ask_angela/index.html

When in doubt, get your ferret to a vet. The best gift you can give your ferret is to get as ferret savvy as you can BEFORE the accidents and illnesses happen. Build up a 'team' of folks you can call in case of any chances in your ferrets. You can find these folks by joining a couple ferret groups online - there are some great folks there and you'll quickly be able to separate the troublemakers from the ones who are there to seriously learn about ferrets.

I wish you the best of luck with your new baby. Don't hesitate to write again if I can be of any help at all. If you use the link at the end of this that says "ask another question" or something like that, it will put your question through even if I have exceeded my maximum questions for that day - so your question will get through if you use that.

Take care of that sweet little one!

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers