Re Andre's question about tartar:
    I am a second-year dental student at Temple University in Philadelphia,
and although my education runs more to the human than to the mustelid, I can
give you at least quasi-informed advice:
 
    1) Any instrument sharp enough to take off tartar (aka calculus) is much
too sharp to place into the mouth of a conscious ferret.  Tartar is
calcified plaque, meaning that it is just as hard as tooth structure.  It
requires a very sharp instrument called a scaler or curette, as well as a
great deal of leveraged force, to remove.  While eating solid food or
chewing dog biscuits can help prevent the formation of tartar, it won't do
much to reduce calcified accretions that are already present (much like
tartar CONTROL toothpaste for humans doesn't remove tartar buildup, it only
prevents it.)
    2) You didn't mention whether any of your other ferrets have this
problem.  If only one has it, changing his diet won't do anything because
it's probably a genetic/physiologic predisposition he has to being a heavy
tartar former, and it has to do with the content of his saliva.
    3) The good news is that tartar by itself will probably not contribute
too much to tooth decay.  The main concern with tartar is that it makes the
enamel surface rougher, which will make it easier for all those sticky,
sugary bad things (that we know we shouldn't give our ferrets but we do
anyway because they're so CUTE) to stick to the tooth surface and cause
decay.  However, if you limit the sweets, this should not be a problem.
    4) The big problem with tartar in both ferrets AND humans is that it
contributes to periodontal disease.  If your concern about the tartar is
primarily cosmetic, but the mouth appears otherwise healthy, you can
probably wait awhile to get the cleaning done professionally.  HOWEVER: If
you notice swelling, bleeding, excessive redness, or puffiness of your
ferret's gums; if the tissue feels spongy rather than firm to the touch; or
if ANY of the teeth appear loose, you MUST bite the proverbial bullet and
take your ferret to the vet.  Unless you're overdoing the sweets you
probably never have to worry about a ferret losing a tooth to tooth decay;
however, periodontal disease can, if left unchecked, result in multiple
tooth loss, pain, difficulty in eating, and dangerous abscesses which can
even spread to the brain.  I don't mean to scare anyone; this is a worst
case scenario and very rare, but it is possible.
 
Finally, I have found the best way to examine my ferrets' teeth is to pick
them up while they're asleep, hold them on their backs under a fairly bright
light, and let them yawn.  Fuzz, the little 4yo light sable male, yawns at
least 6 or 7 times before fully waking up, so I have plenty of time to look
for anything out of the ordinary.  Mario, the enormous 2yo sable mitt male,
wakes up fairly quickly and decides he needs to attack my finger, which also
allows me to examine his open mouth.  If you see trapped food (raisins are
repeat offenders) which you cannot (or dare not) remove with your fingers,
or if your ferret is very small (or your hands very big), try to use a
directed water spray to wash it away so it doesn't cause decay.  Bleeding,
redness, or visibly discolored patches on the teeth should be brought to the
attention of your vet.
                                -- Sarah O'Sullivan, Philadelphia
                                        D.M.D.-to-be
                                with the two evil weasels
[Posted in FML issue 1361]