I haven't been answering many questions lately because I re-re-reinjured a torn rotator cuff while taking a slipperly slide down the wet clay floor of a cave. Its kind of difficult to type left-handed (which is a straight line if I ever heard one!). At the end of last week, I had the wonderful experience of having a pen-sized tube jabbed into my armpit to fix the dang thing, which I found was nothing compared to the PT I've had this week. No one laughed when, as they jabbed the thing in, I said, "Hey! That tickles!" I still think it was funny. Q:"Why do ferrets smell so much? They stink a lot more than my other pets." A: But do they stink more than a CaCa Land Fishin' Gestapo? In ferrets, odor has three dis-stink manifistations; the general body odor, a scent given off when going poopie, and a reproductive scent. Of the three, perhaps the strongest and longest lasting (from my nasal perspective, anyway) is the reproductive scent. Nothing smells more than a hob in rut, and with four of them in my house, I can testifiy before a grand jury on that one. Not only do they have a strong musty odor, but everything that comes into contact with them picks it up for the enjoyment of all. This scent only lasts as long as the hob is in rut, and is completely eliminated when the vet does a snipp-snipp to the guys danglin' goodies. Bathing will not eliminate it. The anal sac odor is what you smell when a ferret gets excited and goes poof. The odor is more offensive to some than others, but it fortunately dissipates rather quickly. Small amounts of the poofing-oil are expelled with each poopie--to mark territory--and some ferrets have a rather nasty latrine as a result. Bathing will not eliminate it. Many ferrets have had their anal sacs removed prior to arriving at the pet store, so they neither poof nor mark. This is an unnecessary procedure for the most part, for most ferrets only poof when extremely upset, excited or frightened. The poofing is a defense mechanism, and a lost ferret without it's poofer is at a disadvantage when meeting up with strange dogs or other predators. On occasion, the anal sacs can become blocked or infected, and in those cases, it is probably better just to have both removed. The general body odor is something that is an integral characteristic of ferrets, and while you can attempt to wash it away or purfume over it, it will never go away. The odor comes from the oils that protect and soften the fur and skin; these oils are part of the ferret's waterproofing system which allows it to swim in very cold water and remain warm. If you dislike the musty odor of a fert so much that you find yourself washing them more that once a month, you should consider adopting out your ferret and buying a baby deer. In fact, washing the oil away only stimulates the ferret's oil glands to make more, so a frequently washed ferret can actually have more of a musty odor than a ferret which rarely bathes. A dust bath is much more effective in minimizing ferret body odor than a bath, they like it more, and it is cheap and easy to do. I allow my ferrets a weekly chance at a dust bath. I use an infant plastic pool, (the smallest one you can find) and place a dishpan (cut down to about 3-4 inches) in the center (mine is hot-glued in place). In the dish pan, I pour a quantity of chinchilla dusting powder. I use a heating lamp to heat the dust to about 80-90 F. A good way to do this is to buy 3 cheap broom handles, hold them together while you tie a couple of loops of nylon line about 3 inches from one end, then open the opposite end to form a very stable tripod. Hang the heating lamp from the tripod. Another way is to put a large, flat reptile heating stone in the middle of the dust. Both ways work well, but the tripod might be better for cord chewers. When the ferts discover heated dust, some will immediately start rolling around and playing in it, taking an old-fasioned dust bath. Some won't know what to do at first, so I roll them around in the dust until they get the idea. All 20 of my love it, and Sandi, who is hanging on dispite terminal cancer and who has lost all her fur, loves to just lie in the dust and sleep. Watch out so no one decides the dust bath is a latrine! The dust bath is a natural activity which helps reduce stress and promote play. The dust sticks to the oils on the skin and fur, which helps to reduce the amount of oil that gets on clothing and furniture, as well as into the air to smell. I find the dust bath has virtually eliminated the need for bathing for odor. Mine still go swimming once a week, and I bath them when they get nasty-dirty, but the dust controls body smell much better than shampooing. Chinchilla dusting powder can be difficult to find on the pet store shelf, but it is easily ordered, either by the pet stop, or by mail. There are several internet websites that you can use to order the stuff. Don't be worried if you see eye or nose boogers caused from the dust from time to time; just clean them off (or the ferret will). They are harmless and are a result of a little dust in the eyes or nostrils. I have never noticed a problem with the dust causing respiratory problems, or clumping in the nasal passages. I *have* noticed that since I have started dust baths, ear mite infections are reduced; I've had only 2 instances in the last year! One of my friends adds a *small* amount of baby powder to the dust, and her ferts smell just like a baby's butt. Bob C and 20 Mo' Dusty Long Dogs [Moderator's note: So all along I thought I was keeping things clean. Now I find out my ferrets tend not to smell because they are *dusty*! Just can't win.... :-) BIG] [Posted in FML issue 2583]