My thanks to a very sweet angel who forwarded the questions of scruffing and tooth brushing in the last few FMLs to my super top secret science email address. I have been working very hard lately on the Ferret Project and soon will be traveling to New Zealand, Australia, and Europe for an extended bit of work that will provide materials for genetics, anatomical, pathological, and ecological studies by extremely fine vets and zoologists, as well as pin down my final chapters on bone and dental changes seen in pet ferrets. As a consequence, I have zero time to read the FML (or much email for that matter). Lately, I have been forced into reading 2-3 weeks of the FML all at once, but I just haven't had time to read any since I left for the AFA show in York. I'll try to get to it soon. First of all, if your ferret is in pain because of tooth brushing, something is wrong. The ferret shouldn't experience any more discomfort from tooth brushing than you would when brushing your own teeth. If your ferret is feeling pain, you may be scrubbing too hard, but there also may be a sore in the ferret's mouth, a bad tooth, periodontal disease, or even a tumor or other abnormal growth. All of those require a vet to inspect the mouth AND I suggest you visit the vet as soon as possible. In the meantime, don't scrub the teeth hard enough to erase a tattoo; a gentle touch works just fine. As we all know, some ferrets dislike tooth brushing so much, they feign or mimic signs of discomfort, even squealing as if someone was stepping on their itty-bitty cute little heads. I've had ferrets squeal, do the helicopter spin, fling poop, and angrily bite the toothbrush so hard that marks are left in the plastic. I brush their teeth anyway. How can you tell the difference between discomfort and dislike? You may not be able to do so. Two good signs are bad breath and blood. Bad breath can be a sign of oral, gastrointestinal, or organ disease, but is not always obvious. Blood on the toothbrush is another sign of trouble, but might only mean minor gingivitis is present or the brusher was a bit heavy handed. For bad breath, I suggest a vet visit as soon as possible. While a ferret can go some time with minor dental problems, if the odor is caused by gastric or organ disease, the sooner you jump on the problem, the better. If the odor is caused by a gastric ulcer, death could be imminent from a sudden bleed out, so take the potential problem seriously. As for blood on the toothbrush, that can happen with any ferret starting out on a tooth brushing program and should be short lived. If not, then it could be evidence of gingivitis or periodontal disease and a vet visit is necessary. The most important aspect of equipment is the toothbrush. Ferrets need their own toothbrush! Do not take a toothbrush out of one ferret's mouth and use it to brush another ferret's teeth. That can spread nasty bacteria and can potentially spread communicable disease, so one toothbrush per ferret, please. Plastic finger brushes can be used, but I personally don't like them (nothing against them, just dislike them) and a bit of cheesecloth wrapped around your finger works just as well or better. Toothbrushes designed for cats are good, but are expensive, so if you are buying toothbrushes for a lot of ferrets, it can add up to big bucks in a very short time. I have found toddler toothbrushes work the best for ferrets, but they also tend to be expensive. If you only have a few ferrets. I recommend those. For a lot of ferrets, I say just buy what is on sale as long as it has soft bristles. The shorter the bristle-row the better. I highly recommend cleaning the toothbrush between uses. I just drop mine in the dishwasher with the rest of the dishes. If you don't want to use your dishwasher, then rinse each toothbrush in a 10% solution of household bleach in water and let air dry before reusing. Toothpaste is also very important. Ferrets are very small creatures and small amounts of chemicals can build up quickly in their bodies. You should not use toothpaste that contains fluoride or other additives, such as bleaches or whiteners (they CAN be used in an emergency, but to be safe, no more than a few times per year). Some of these additives slightly soften or increases the porosity of the enamel and can increase the wear rate of the tooth. Fluoride can build up to toxic levels if used regularly. Toothpastes designed for animals or human infants are generally acceptable and recommended. The basic purpose of brushing teeth is to remove the bacterial mat that evolves into plaque, so cheap toothpastes are as good as the more expensive ones since it is the toothbrush that does most of the work. Since ferrets are probably immune to cavities (I've never seen one after looking at 1400+ skulls), you don't have to worry about anti-cavity ingredients. All you need is a basic dentifrice that is fluoride free. My technique for brushing a ferret's teeth is simple, yet effective. Nonetheless, don't consider it to be the end word in ferret tooth brushing; plenty of other ferret owners have their own techniques, and many are as good or better. I recommend you modify ANY suggestion to meet the needs of your own ferrets and situation. I scruff the ferret with my left hand, lay their back down my left forearm, and tuck their rear end within my left armpit. Holding them at a 70 to 90 degree angle, I take the index finger of my right hand and rub a tiny spot of Nutri-cal on the ferret's front teeth. This invariably causes them to lick, which gives you the opportunity to stick the toothbrush into their mouth. I wouldn't use Nutri-cal for ferrets with insulinoma, perhaps substituting Petromalt or a dollop of Bob's Chicken Gravy. Sometimes I have a ferret that absolutely refuses to cooperate, so I put about a quarter inch of Nutri-Cal or Petromalt on the top of the bristles, followed by the normal amount of toothpaste. I let them start licking the toothbrush and then jump in with the brushing. I don't know if I am tricking them or bribing them, but it works, so I don't care. If the ferret clamps their jaws, brushing will only clean the top row of teeth because the lower dental arcade slides almost completely into the upper arcade. That isn't so bad because the gums are still massaged and the cheek side of the upper teeth is generally the worst place for dental tartar (based on observations of 1400+ skulls). If that is all you can get, go with it because some brushing is better than none. Usually, if a ferret refuses to open their jaws, I simply brush the cheek-side of the teeth, keep the toothbrush is place, and patiently wait. As the ferret's mouth reacts to the toothpaste and makes saliva, they will swallow and start to lick their lips, opening the jaw. I then brush the tops of the teeth, and angle inwardly to get the tongue-side of the teeth. Many times the ferret will chew the bristles, but it won't hurt them, and will also help to clean the teeth. I never stress a ferret without also doing something to alleviate it, so after I finish brushing their teeth, I give them a period of comforting. Mostly, this is gentle petting, hugging, mouth grooming with a damp washcloth, and gently speaking to them. Afterwards, I give them a tiny treat, such as a point off a ChewWeasel or whatever they prefer. This not just reduces post-brushing stress, but also teaches the ferret that while tooth brushing might be bothersome, it has a good ending. This does more than anything else I have tried to get a ferret to cooperate with tooth brushing, but it takes time for them to learn it. There are times I don't brush a ferret's teeth. I don't brush teeth for a week or so after surgery, or if the ferret is obviously ill. If I have rescued an elderly ferret and it stresses out during tooth brushing, I drop the brush and use my finger after wrapping it with cheesecloth (for some reason, it is less stressful, perhaps because it mimics oral grooming). I don't brush teeth for a few days after a good tooth cleaning so that the gums have some time to recover. If a ferret is dying, I forgo tooth brushing. Brushing the teeth of ferrets with oral tumors might result in pain or bleeding, so I use the cheesecloth and finger cleaning method. Brushing teeth is only half of the ferret's requirements for good oral hygiene. The other half is, of course, regular cleaning by a vet. This is a critical step because tooth brushing alone does not seem adequate in preventing tartar in ferrets. It greatly reduces it, but cannot be guaranteed to totally prevent it. Some ferrets seem extremely prone to dental tartar no matter what you do. The problem with gingivitis and periodontal disease is not the visual tartar on the tooth surface but rather the tartar under the gum line. The only adequate way to remove it is with dental scalers, or better still, with ultrasonic machines. Many people purchase metal dental scalers and pick the tartar off their ferret's teeth. This can make them look nice, but it microscopically scratches the enamel and doesn't clean under the gums. The tooth needs polishing after scaling to prevent those scratches from filling with plaque and turning into tartar. The problem with tooth cleaning is most ferrets rarely cooperate and usually struggle against the procedure. The sharp pick-like end of the scraper can easily penetrate, cut, or tear delicate and sensitive oral tissues in a struggling ferret. In most cases, it is recommended that the ferret be anesthetized for dental cleaning. Because there is always a risk associated with anesthesia, some vets don't recommend tooth cleaning. Other vets, including many who specialize in dentistry, feel anesthesia risks are worth reducing the risk of health issues that may spring from periodontal disease. Personally, I agree with both sides. If all my ferret had was a dark stain on their carnassial, I am not sure I would anesthetize it for a simple cleaning. However, if my ferret had red, bleeding gums, bad breath, and caked on tartar, I wouldn't hesitate a second in putting them under. In either case, I would discuss it with my vet and make a decision based on their recommendation. A lot is made of the danger of anesthesia in ferrets, which is a real and serious risk, albeit small. Very little, however, is made of the risks of dirty, nasty teeth and their association with systemic and organ disease in ferrets. I found severe osteomyelitis secondary to periodontal disease in 5 pet ferret skulls out of 400, which is roughly a 1% rate of a mortal disease. I don't think the rate of death from anesthesia even comes close. Nor do we know the rates of organ disease caused by periodontal disease in ferrets, although in other mammals it can be significant. I suspect those risks are also greater than the risk of anesthesia. My personal opinion is to push prophylaxis (brushing, chewing objects) to prevent or cure gingivitis, but resort to tooth cleaning to prevent or stop periodontal disease. Ultimately, all decisions rest with the ferret owner, and each owner must listen to the recommendation of their vet. No one on this list -- including me -- can adequately judge what is best for your ferret. You need to form a trusting partnership with your vet for the best possible heath strategy for your ferret, including that for proper oral health. Bob C [log in to unmask] [Posted in FML 5842]