Your Ferret and His Teeth

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     There are many things that a ferret owner must be conscious of. One of those things is the ferret's teeth. Are you aware that your ferret can literally bite down so hard that he can break every bone in your hand? He can. The thing is, however, that he will most likely chose not to do that.

Ferrets use their teeth a great deal. In fact, you might think of their mouth as an extra hand that they have. They will use their teeth for protection, but usually, they use their teeth to drag items around. Because they use their teeth so much, however, they always run the risk of breaking or chipping a tooth.

Have you ever broken one of your teeth? If you have, you know that when air hits an exposed nerve you experience pain like no other! Many people don't stop to consider that a ferret also feels a great deal of pain from a broken tooth, just as cats and dogs do. When you feel that sort of pain, you probably get grouchy - so will your ferret.

You absolutely must learn to care for your ferrets teeth. Starting when he is just a kit, brush your ferret's teeth at least once a week. Do not use regular - human - toothpaste. Instead, purchase toothpaste especially designed for ferrets from your local pet store. This is special toothpaste that the ferret can swallow without any harm being done to him. You can use a regular baby toothbrush.

When you are brushing his teeth, inspect them. Look for any chipped or broken teeth, or anything that looks like it could be a problem. If you find a problem, contact your veterinarian. Veterinarians are not dentists, but they are trained to care for animal teeth. Don't allow your ferret to suffer with a hurting tooth!

You may wonder why you want to care for those teeth that your ferret uses as weapons. The truth of the matter is that ferrets really are domesticated - just as cats are. They won't use their teeth as a weapon without a very good reason. They are known to nip while playing, however.

You can easily teach your ferret not to nip you by tapping him on the nose and saying 'no' sternly, as soon as he nips. Don't wait. He needs to figure out what he did to displease you. The more consistent you are, the quicker he will stop nipping you.

Wear thick gloves, and when he nips the glove - even though it didn't hurt you - make sure that he knows that you are displeased. After you have tapped him on the nose and said no, however, get right back to talking gently too him. He will start to 'deduce' what gets him that tap on the nose - don't give him too much to think about!

Your ferret's teeth are very important to him. Make sure that you teach him not to bite, and that you take good care of his teeth. You must remember that he is just an animal, and this is not something that he can tend to himself.