>From:    Lee McKee <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Toothpaste as biting deterrent
>Thanks to a poster on alt.pets.ferrets, I've now tried the toothpaste trick
>as a deterrent to getting bitten.  Smeared toothpaste (bargain-brand green
>paste) all over my hands and arms.
 
Once again I feel the need to warn about using human toothpaste as a biting
deterrent for ferrets.  Toothpaste can be highly toxic to any mammal under
30 pounds.  Most bargain brands of toothpaste and non-bargain brands for
that matter contain 15% fluoride, which if ingested can cause an over dose
and eventually death.  Human toothpaste also contain high quantities of
sugar depending on which brand is purchase.  Upon giving oral hygiene
instructions to parents of toddlers and small children, I never recommend
an adult tooth paste for oral care.
 
>So, is it the wintergreen that they don't like?  Wonder if my Dr Bronner's
>peppermint soap will also do the trick--the toothpaste really feels kinda
>yucky.
 
Although I'm not familiar with this type of soap, I have known of a ferret
that enjoyed licking soap.  The owner was faced one evening with a very
lethargic ferret.  The little critter had purged the digestive system, as
the soap was not digestible.  The ferret dehydrated and rushed to the vet
with a stool sample.  The owner feared ECE because the stool was green
slime.  However, the ferret just has a case of soap poisoning and was fine
after a few injections of fluids and a few days of pedialyte.
 
Why not try bitter apple, bitter lime or distilled vinegar?
 
Lisa Mancilla
[Posted in FML issue 2300]