Hey!  I can finally contribute!
 
My BB(big boy) Squid has dry itchy skin and very dry paw pads.  I have been
worrying over this for months, using coat sprays, ferretone, Vitamin E
oils, anything I could think of that might help.  As well as adjusting his
environment to try and remove all possible allergens (except for the other
ferret.  maybe he's allergic to her?) Anyway, it would get temporarily
better, but he would still zoom out of bed and start scratching for all he
was worth.
 
Then I realized, MY skin was dry.  It's winter.  We use a woodstove for
heat.  It sucks moisture out of the air.
 
Humidifier.
 
Within two days of purchasing one for my beloved BB, he had nearly
completely stopped scratching, his paw pads were getting soft again, and
his fur was not as brittle.
 
Now I'm getting all kinds of grief from the SO, who complained for a long
time about needing a humidifier, about how I'd buy one for the ferrets, but
not for him.  What can I say?
 
It's worth a try if you have forced-air heat or you have noticed there is
less moisture in your house, and you have already tried to eliminate
allergens.  I am still pretty sure my BB is allergic to certain laundry
detergents or dryer sheets, so I don't use them anymore.
 
Ann & The (skritch, skritch) Squid and The (flying) Piglet
[Posted in FML issue 2554]