I adopted 3 older ferrets almost two years ago. Not sure exactly how
old they are. I had their teeth cleaned a year ago.

This year so far when I took one of them back for her yearly checkup,
her teeth were horrible. So I had them cleaned again.

Everytime I do this I agonize and lose sleep. Having any pet of mine
put under for any procedure always scares me. Thankfully, she came
through it it okay.

Next week I am taking the other two in, and if they have to have their
teeth cleaned, I will have it done. The fact that it will cost me the
better part of a thousand [Canadian] dollars for all three does not
bother me. What bothers me and my vet is the fact that their teeth can
get so bad. And as most of us know bad teeth and gums lead to kidney
disease etc, etc,etc.

I had been brushing their teeth several times a week , so I was really
shocked when the vet said her teeth were that bad.

I know that raw fed ferrets have very clean teeth and gums and am not
proposing to start the raw versus kibble debate.

What I would love to know is what do you do to keep your ferrets teeth
and gums in good shape.

Something I have learned this past week is using Q-tips to clean their
teeth.

Right now I am using a cloth to wipe their teeth, followed by a Q-tip,
followed by a baby toothbrush with animal appropriate toothpaste to
clean their teeth every day. Okay, I must confess, I am doing it twice
a day. {My teeth should get that much attention!!!}

What have been your experiences with your ferrets teeth and do you have
any tips to share?

Liz

[Posted in FML 5493]