Ferret tooth maybe missing! (FANG)

Question
My ferret who is three and 1/2, maybe missing or chipped his fang. He won't let me open his mouth to see! The food Precious eats normally eats marshalls ferret premium ferret food.  When they ran out at Pet supermarket,we bought another premium ferret food, it is hard and brown and has ridges. We also give him 4-5 marshals ferret treats (soft) and marshall's vitamins (tubes). No illness history.  He has a four story cage to himself were he has food, water, and two beds. I have owned him for 3 years.

Answer
Hi Lisa:

Sorry to hear about that tooth! You are going to need to look at the tooth closer OR take him to the vet and let the vet look closer. Reason: IF the tooth is broken off and is sharp, it could cut his tongue and cause serious damage. There are lots and lots of blood vessels around the mouth and it bleeds easily if injured.

If you've had him three years, hopefully you've mastered the art of "scruffing" him. The scruff is the loose skin behind the neck and below the head. Picking a ferret up by the scruff doesn't hurt it.
Support a ferret's bottom when you pick it up by the scruff of its neck. This is more comfortable for the ferret than letting its feet dangle and gives a measure of safety if the ferret squirms loose from your grip. AS SHOWN HERE: (scroll down to pix at bottom of article) http://www.geocities.com/wolfysluv/deaf.html

Rub your finger gently on the tooth to see if it feels sharp, thin (easiy broken in the future when the ferret is eating), or if the ferret appears to pull away, cry or act like it is painful for you to touch the tooth....the nerve MAY be exposed and if it is, it would be very very painful.

Has he lost any weight since breaking the tooth? That's another indication he is having trouble eating possibly related to tooth pain. Again, a vet visit is in order.

Remember a ferret vet isn't just any dog and/or cat vet. Look for a vet who specializes in "exotics" or check any of these lists for a vet in your area. These are vets recommended for ferrets by other ferret owners. COMPARE PRICES, as they do vary, sometimes greatly between vets - often with the better vet being less expensive because they already have the smaller tools to work with paid for, etc. Here's the list of lists:

VETS CANADA:   
* http://www.ferretrescue.ca/start.php
* http://tinylink.com/?TlVyYKa6e0
* http://www.ferrets.org/Veterinarian_Listings.htm   (British Columbia)
* http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-vets.html
* http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/sask_ferrets/

VETS USA:
* http://www.quincyweb.net/quincy/vet.html
* http://ferrethealth.org/vets/
* http://www.ferret-universe.com/vets/vetlist.asp
* http://www.ferretsanctuary.com/vets.shtml
* http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-vets.html
* http://ferrethealth.org/vets/

VETS  UK & IRELAND:  
* http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ferreter/vetlist.htm

If your city isn't listed, check the list of SHELTERS - any good shelter will know what vet will be BEST, CHEAPEST and can quickly point you to the best ferret vet in town! Here are the lists of ferret shelters:

SHELTERS - CANADA, GERMANY, NEW ZEALAND
 * http://www.ferretfacts.com/ferret-shelter-directory-international-ferret-shelter...

SHELTERS/RESCUES - UK (ENGLAND)
* http://www.everythingferret.com/ferret_shelters.htm
* http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ferreter/ferretrescues.htm
* http://www.ferretfacts.com/ferret-shelter-directory-international-ferret-shelter...

SHELTERS/RESCUES - U.S.
* http://www.ferret.org/links/shelters.shtm
* http://www.everythingferret.com/ferret_shelters.htm
* http://groups.msn.com/Ferret/yourwebpage5.msnw
* http://www.ferretcentral.org/for-others/db-products.html
* http://www.ferretfacts.com/ferret-shelter-directory-us-ferret-shelters.html

Hope that helps. You also might want to have a look at the amount of treats your little guy is getting daily. You didn't mention his food brand, but it's important that since ferrets eat so little each day, that everything they put in their mouths be good for them and NOT be junk food - even the treats. Here's a list to help choose the best foods - I wouldn't feed my ferrets anything less than a "9" on this list. Treats - FERRETONE, FUROTONE (same thing, different brand), LINATONE is a great treat because it has essential fatty acids ferrets need, but don't exceed about three teaspoons a week per ferret (ALWAYS MIX the fatty acid supplement 1/2 and 1/2 with VIRGIN OLIVE OIL before giving to the ferrets or they can overdose on vitamins A and D), **IMPORTANT:  KEEP the portion that is currently in use and mixed with olive oil out of reach of your ferrets; keep the big bottle IN THE REFRIGERATOR to keep it from becoming rancid. If it gets darker or thicker at any time, THROW IT AWAY, do not give it to the ferret. It should be a nice, clear to LIGHT sunny yellow color.

IF it is missing completely and doesn't seem to bother him, you probably don't need to do anything. I've seen plenty ferrets go without a canine. Keep an eye on his other teeth. It's good to get a ferret's teeth cleaned by the vet at about age 3 or 4 to keep their general health good. You don't want to end up with a 5 year old ferret that has no teeth because they weren't taken care of!  The ferret must be anesthetized to clean the teeth, but it doesn't take long at all and rarely are there any complications. Decayed or infected teeth can cause kidney and liver damage if not removed and the infection treated, so please get those kids in for their YEARLY HEALTHY FERRET CHECKUPS that INCLUDE DENTAL EXAMS!

Best of luck to your sweet little one.

Sincerely,

Jacquie Rodgers