My thanks to a very sweet angel who forwarded the questions of
scruffing and tooth brushing in the last few FMLs to my super top
secret science email address. I have been working very hard lately
on the Ferret Project and soon will be traveling to New Zealand,
Australia, and Europe for an extended bit of work that will provide
materials for genetics, anatomical, pathological, and ecological
studies by extremely fine vets and zoologists, as well as pin down my
final chapters on bone and dental changes seen in pet ferrets. As a
consequence, I have zero time to read the FML (or much email for that
matter). Lately, I have been forced into reading 2-3 weeks of the FML
all at once, but I just haven't had time to read any since I left for
the AFA show in York. I'll try to get to it soon.

First of all, if your ferret is in pain because of tooth brushing,
something is wrong. The ferret shouldn't experience any more discomfort
from tooth brushing than you would when brushing your own teeth. If
your ferret is feeling pain, you may be scrubbing too hard, but there
also may be a sore in the ferret's mouth, a bad tooth, periodontal
disease, or even a tumor or other abnormal growth. All of those require
a vet to inspect the mouth AND I suggest you visit the vet as soon as
possible. In the meantime, don't scrub the teeth hard enough to erase
a tattoo; a gentle touch works just fine.

As we all know, some ferrets dislike tooth brushing so much, they feign
or mimic signs of discomfort, even squealing as if someone was stepping
on their itty-bitty cute little heads. I've had ferrets squeal, do the
helicopter spin, fling poop, and angrily bite the toothbrush so hard
that marks are left in the plastic. I brush their teeth anyway.

How can you tell the difference between discomfort and dislike? You
may not be able to do so. Two good signs are bad breath and blood. Bad
breath can be a sign of oral, gastrointestinal, or organ disease, but
is not always obvious. Blood on the toothbrush is another sign of
trouble, but might only mean minor gingivitis is present or the brusher
was a bit heavy handed. For bad breath, I suggest a vet visit as
soon as possible. While a ferret can go some time with minor dental
problems, if the odor is caused by gastric or organ disease, the sooner
you jump on the problem, the better. If the odor is caused by a gastric
ulcer, death could be imminent from a sudden bleed out, so take the
potential problem seriously. As for blood on the toothbrush, that can
happen with any ferret starting out on a tooth brushing program and
should be short lived. If not, then it could be evidence of gingivitis
or periodontal disease and a vet visit is necessary.

The most important aspect of equipment is the toothbrush. Ferrets need
their own toothbrush! Do not take a toothbrush out of one ferret's
mouth and use it to brush another ferret's teeth. That can spread
nasty bacteria and can potentially spread communicable disease, so one
toothbrush per ferret, please. Plastic finger brushes can be used, but
I personally don't like them (nothing against them, just dislike them)
and a bit of cheesecloth wrapped around your finger works just as well
or better. Toothbrushes designed for cats are good, but are expensive,
so if you are buying toothbrushes for a lot of ferrets, it can add up
to big bucks in a very short time. I have found toddler toothbrushes
work the best for ferrets, but they also tend to be expensive. If you
only have a few ferrets. I recommend those. For a lot of ferrets, I say
just buy what is on sale as long as it has soft bristles. The shorter
the bristle-row the better. I highly recommend cleaning the toothbrush
between uses. I just drop mine in the dishwasher with the rest of the
dishes. If you don't want to use your dishwasher, then rinse each
toothbrush in a 10% solution of household bleach in water and let
air dry before reusing.

Toothpaste is also very important. Ferrets are very small creatures and
small amounts of chemicals can build up quickly in their bodies. You
should not use toothpaste that contains fluoride or other additives,
such as bleaches or whiteners (they CAN be used in an emergency, but to
be safe, no more than a few times per year). Some of these additives
slightly soften or increases the porosity of the enamel and can
increase the wear rate of the tooth. Fluoride can build up to toxic
levels if used regularly. Toothpastes designed for animals or human
infants are generally acceptable and recommended. The basic purpose of
brushing teeth is to remove the bacterial mat that evolves into plaque,
so cheap toothpastes are as good as the more expensive ones since it is
the toothbrush that does most of the work. Since ferrets are probably
immune to cavities (I've never seen one after looking at 1400+ skulls),
you don't have to worry about anti-cavity ingredients. All you need is
a basic dentifrice that is fluoride free.

My technique for brushing a ferret's teeth is simple, yet effective.
Nonetheless, don't consider it to be the end word in ferret tooth
brushing; plenty of other ferret owners have their own techniques,
and many are as good or better. I recommend you modify ANY suggestion
to meet the needs of your own ferrets and situation.

I scruff the ferret with my left hand, lay their back down my left
forearm, and tuck their rear end within my left armpit. Holding them
at a 70 to 90 degree angle, I take the index finger of my right hand
and rub a tiny spot of Nutri-cal on the ferret's front teeth. This
invariably causes them to lick, which gives you the opportunity to
stick the toothbrush into their mouth. I wouldn't use Nutri-cal for
ferrets with insulinoma, perhaps substituting Petromalt or a dollop of
Bob's Chicken Gravy. Sometimes I have a ferret that absolutely refuses
to cooperate, so I put about a quarter inch of Nutri-Cal or Petromalt
on the top of the bristles, followed by the normal amount of
toothpaste. I let them start licking the toothbrush and then jump in
with the brushing. I don't know if I am tricking them or bribing them,
but it works, so I don't care.

If the ferret clamps their jaws, brushing will only clean the top row
of teeth because the lower dental arcade slides almost completely into
the upper arcade. That isn't so bad because the gums are still massaged
and the cheek side of the upper teeth is generally the worst place for
dental tartar (based on observations of 1400+ skulls). If that is all
you can get, go with it because some brushing is better than none.
Usually, if a ferret refuses to open their jaws, I simply brush the
cheek-side of the teeth, keep the toothbrush is place, and patiently
wait. As the ferret's mouth reacts to the toothpaste and makes saliva,
they will swallow and start to lick their lips, opening the jaw. I then
brush the tops of the teeth, and angle inwardly to get the tongue-side
of the teeth. Many times the ferret will chew the bristles, but it
won't hurt them, and will also help to clean the teeth.

I never stress a ferret without also doing something to alleviate
it, so after I finish brushing their teeth, I give them a period of
comforting. Mostly, this is gentle petting, hugging, mouth grooming
with a damp washcloth, and gently speaking to them. Afterwards, I
give them a tiny treat, such as a point off a ChewWeasel or whatever
they prefer. This not just reduces post-brushing stress, but also
teaches the ferret that while tooth brushing might be bothersome, it
has a good ending. This does more than anything else I have tried to
get a ferret to cooperate with tooth brushing, but it takes time for
them to learn it.

There are times I don't brush a ferret's teeth. I don't brush teeth
for a week or so after surgery, or if the ferret is obviously ill. If
I have rescued an elderly ferret and it stresses out during tooth
brushing, I drop the brush and use my finger after wrapping it with
cheesecloth (for some reason, it is less stressful, perhaps because it
mimics oral grooming). I don't brush teeth for a few days after a good
tooth cleaning so that the gums have some time to recover. If a ferret
is dying, I forgo tooth brushing. Brushing the teeth of ferrets with
oral tumors might result in pain or bleeding, so I use the cheesecloth
and finger cleaning method.

Brushing teeth is only half of the ferret's requirements for good oral
hygiene. The other half is, of course, regular cleaning by a vet. This
is a critical step because tooth brushing alone does not seem adequate
in preventing tartar in ferrets. It greatly reduces it, but cannot be
guaranteed to totally prevent it. Some ferrets seem extremely prone to
dental tartar no matter what you do.

The problem with gingivitis and periodontal disease is not the visual
tartar on the tooth surface but rather the tartar under the gum line.
The only adequate way to remove it is with dental scalers, or better
still, with ultrasonic machines. Many people purchase metal dental
scalers and pick the tartar off their ferret's teeth. This can make
them look nice, but it microscopically scratches the enamel and
doesn't clean under the gums. The tooth needs polishing after scaling
to prevent those scratches from filling with plaque and turning into
tartar.

The problem with tooth cleaning is most ferrets rarely cooperate and
usually struggle against the procedure. The sharp pick-like end of the
scraper can easily penetrate, cut, or tear delicate and sensitive oral
tissues in a struggling ferret. In most cases, it is recommended that
the ferret be anesthetized for dental cleaning. Because there is always
a risk associated with anesthesia, some vets don't recommend tooth
cleaning. Other vets, including many who specialize in dentistry, feel
anesthesia risks are worth reducing the risk of health issues that may
spring from periodontal disease.

Personally, I agree with both sides. If all my ferret had was a dark
stain on their carnassial, I am not sure I would anesthetize it for
a simple cleaning. However, if my ferret had red, bleeding gums, bad
breath, and caked on tartar, I wouldn't hesitate a second in putting
them under. In either case, I would discuss it with my vet and make
a decision based on their recommendation.

A lot is made of the danger of anesthesia in ferrets, which is a real
and serious risk, albeit small. Very little, however, is made of the
risks of dirty, nasty teeth and their association with systemic and
organ disease in ferrets. I found severe osteomyelitis secondary to
periodontal disease in 5 pet ferret skulls out of 400, which is roughly
a 1% rate of a mortal disease. I don't think the rate of death from
anesthesia even comes close. Nor do we know the rates of organ disease
caused by periodontal disease in ferrets, although in other mammals
it can be significant. I suspect those risks are also greater than
the risk of anesthesia. My personal opinion is to push prophylaxis
(brushing, chewing objects) to prevent or cure gingivitis, but
resort to tooth cleaning to prevent or stop periodontal disease.

Ultimately, all decisions rest with the ferret owner, and each owner
must listen to the recommendation of their vet. No one on this list --
including me -- can adequately judge what is best for your ferret. You
need to form a trusting partnership with your vet for the best possible
heath strategy for your ferret, including that for proper oral health.

Bob C [log in to unmask]

[Posted in FML 5842]