BATHING: Baths? Baths? Ferrets don't need no stinkin' baths! I work on the assumption ferrets normally require few baths, and, in fact, most of my ferrets have never had one. Furthermore, bathing a ferret is often quite stressful, not just because of the risks of hypothermia (or overheating due to hot bath water), but also because many ill ferrets want nothing to do with a bath and they become emotionally stressed. Generally, I think giving a sick or injured ferret a bath has more negative aspects than positive ones, so I don't do it unless forced to do so, relying instead on cleaning specific areas as needed. Nonetheless, on occasion a ferret will soil itself, or have other foreign substances on its body that have to be removed, and a bath is in order. Before the ferret even gets a paw in the water, I get everything ready for the bath so I can keep the experience as short as possible. I use the disposal side of my kitchen sink as the bathtub (bathing ferrets are frequently pooping ferrets), high quality baby shampoo and a mild conditioner for the fur, and several bath towels for drying. You can use a hair dryer set on the lowest settings, but some ferrets will have nothing to do with them, and because the danger of burning them is so great, I don't recommend them. I also have on hand nail clippers, olive oil, bag balm and baby lotion (useful for balding ferrets), q-tips, and several different treats used to distract them or keep them in place. Oh, and the lucky rubber duckie. I'm serious; I wash a HARD PLASTIC rubber duckie, place a glob of Nutrical on its back, and float it in front of the ferret. They get so distracted while pursuing the duckie that I have them washed before they know it. When everything is assembled, I start with water at about 100 degrees F, tested with a kitchen thermometer. That is not much different than a ferret's core body temperature, and will not overheat them for the duration of the bath. If you don't have a kitchen thermometer, just buy one; they are just a few bucks and they can be used to test food temperatures as well. I make the bath as short as possible, and I immediately dry the ferret after removing them from the tub after rinsing. When drying the ferret, look for splintered or long nails that need clipping, fur mats that need cutting, dried stuff that should be combed out, and the general condition of the foot and nose pads. While you are at it, check out the eyes and ears as well. A q-tip LIGHTLY dipped in olive oil is WONDERFUL for cleaning ears! I don't get many adrenal ferrets; most I have experienced I have adopted, but I did come up with an effective method to help care for thin and dry skin. Most treatments only work on exposed or bald skin, but often the skin under the remaining fur is dry and itchy as well. Using lotion coats the fur, but hardly any manages to get down to the skin underneath. After bathing the ferret and rinsing off the shampoo and conditioner, I squirt a large glob of baby lotion on my palm, and while the ferret is still in the water, I rub it all over them, allowing the bath water to dilute the lotion. When drying, the watered down lotion is absorbed into the skin, and because it is thinner than usual, will coat the parts of the ferret hidden by fur. After drying, I might use a bit of Vaseline or bag balm directly on dry skin (if severe), or just baby lotion if the condition is milder. Bag balm is a wonderful invention, and I use the stuff in the green can with the roses on the lid called, interestingly enough, Bag Balm. It is normally used to condition a dairy cow's teats, and it is extremely effective to condition the dry itchy skin found on adrenal ferrets. Be careful when drying a sick ferret. If the skin is thin and cracked, you could cause damage with rough drying techniques. I use a blotting method using fine thread-count linen hand towels, and will change towels as they become wet. Once the ferret is as dry as possible, I give them an energy boost with a treat of Nutrical, and pack them off to bed where they can groom themselves at their leisure. Bob C [Posted in FML issue 4404]