From:
Sole
Date: 2002-02-19 18:08:00 UTC
Subject: Dental questions
Hi
I got new questions for all of you. My 8 month old ferret
Ringo had some dental tartar. Today the vet removed it and
cleaned his teeth completely. So, Ringo is OK now but I'm
surprised because he is so young and had so much tartar. He
had his two molars with a lot of tartar (they were brown) and
a little spot in one front teeth. I've always read that this
problems are seen in much older ferrets.
Ringo is a pet store ferret and he was eating Iams Kitten
there until December, when we bought him (by that time his
teeth had tartar). Now he is eating Eukanuba Kitten. The only
treat I give him is Linatone, so he doesn't eat soft food. I'm
worried abut his teeth and because the cleaning he had today
was under general anesthesia: I don't want to do this in a
regular basis. So this are my questions:
1. ¿Is it normal for a ferret his age?¿Can this be a sign of
illness? He seems very healthy.
2. How can I prevent future dental problems?. I think I can't
clean his teeth daily, because he hardly lets me clean his
ears. Is there some dental paste for ferrets that makes easier
this task? Dental brushes for cats seems so big... Should I
give him something special to nibble?
Any suggestions?
Luckily, Ringo came out well from anesthesia and he is eating
and returning to his normal activities.
Thanks in advance
Sole & Ringo