It’s really important to make sure your ferret’s teeth are in good shape. If you get a whiff of bad breath from its mouth then make sure you take it to your ferret savvy vet to get checked out.

When I got Spook from Ferret Rescue I was aware of his breath smelling but I foolishly assumed that if there was a problem, the ladies at the Rescue would have dealt with it. It was only when I lost Seamus that the point about dental hygiene was hammered into me and I was determined that it wouldn’t happen to another one of my ferrets.

I checked Spook’s gum line the other day and saw it was looking sore and his teeth were yellow and yukky so made an appointment with my vet for him to get his teeth cleaned. There were no other symptoms – he was eating well, playing with the others and certainly didn’t seem like he was bothered by the condition of his mouth.

Took him in on Thursday morning and Fiona, my vet, called me mid-morning to say that Spook’s teeth were not in good shape and he had bad gingivitis so once she cleaned the gunk off, she’d be able to see if there were any cavities which might be troubling him.

I went to pick him up at 4:30 but he was still fast asleep but I got to see Fiona and she said that she had to remove his two back molars and one other tooth, which she’d saved for me in a plastic bag.

I was wondering if I should put the teeth under his pillow so that the Tooth Fairy could leave him some treats – LOL!!

Spook's teeth

I had to send Philip back to pick him up at 6pm and when he was let out of the carrier, the poor boy’s back legs weren’t working so he was slipping and sliding around the floor as he tried to get to the bedroom! Looked very cute because I knew there was nothing serious about his condition :D

It took a couple of days for the anaesthetic to get out of his body but now he’s back to normal, jumping on the others and eating like a horse again.

I was giving him soft food, like A/D formula and turkey mince, to eat as I was worried it might be difficult for him to have his kibble but I found him at the food dish, elbow deep in the bowl and munching his Iams with real gusto! Obviously his mouth isn’t bothering him at all now and his breath smells sweet again :)

So … I would urge all ferret owners to check their babies’ teeth regularly and if there is any sign of gingivitis or tartar on the teeth, take them to the vet to get everything cleaned up. Your ferret will feel a lot better and will thank you :D

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Filed under: Dental Problems • Ferret Health • Ferret Illnesses • Ferrets as Pets

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