From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2008-02-24 19:40:12 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: hairball remedy
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
We have found that for the vast majority of our ferrets using a flea
comb to dislodge loose fur when shedding season begins has been
sufficient, with a little petroleum jelly based laxative if they start
making sounds like they are gagging or if it is a pronounced shedding
season.
Besides the flea combs (which work marvelously) the other thing we did
that greatly reduced any indications of discomfort happened maybe
about 7 to ten years ago.
At that time we had two ferrets who had fur balls.
One had nothing we could change in relation to husbandry to help
others; he had a neural crest genetic variation and some deformations
that can be related to that in other animals. He was not deaf but he
did have syndactyly which required two surgeries on one hand and his
worst problem was that he apparently had GI neural problems and that
was the possible cause of his first his stomach and later his small
intestine progressively becoming large, more flaccid, and more thinly
walled. So, he had to have 4 stomach surgeries for blockages because
things would not pass but after the fourth it was obvious that the
next time he would not be able to be repaired. His stomach walls
failed before his next blockage. The only thing that can help others
in relation to such things is to not breed ferret with neural crest
disorders. (For input on that from a genetics professor see:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG3069
and the archives of Ferret-Genetics:
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/Ferret-Genetics/ )
What helped the other ferret with his single "fur" ball turned out to
be a huge win! On examination when it was disassembled his "fur" ball
turned out to be MOSTLY FIBER FROM FAKE SHEEP FLEECE! It wasn't fur
at all; it was because he was eating meals in his hammocks. If you
have some bedding with that try plucking lightly at the fabric and
notice how easily the strands from it come out! Seriously try it.
Ferrets like to dig that fabric, too, which wears it out faster and
the more they are dug the more easily the fibers dislodge. Have an
old one? Compare that and be startled. There may be different grades
these days but back then all of them were horrid. We do that test on
ANY fabric the ferrets will have now. Compare it to fabrics like
polar fleece which pretty much does not shed.
So, I got an irregular on-sale sheet set (not having a fabric store
handy and the sheets were possibly cheaper, anyway) and began selling
sheet fabric over the fake fleece. I am not a seamstress so it took a
while and doesn't look great but it works marvelously. Honestly, I
think that others must have also been ingesting the "hairs" from the
fake sheep fleece because we almost never have anyone gagging since
then except during shedding seasons.
To top it off the cover over the fake sheep fleece makes the bedding
easier to wash. You know how that stuff holds onto grime and garbage,
often requiring sequential washings. No longer. One wash does it.
AND we are still using the same beds we bought then. In fact, it
works so well that I have some put away that I haven't sewn covers
over to alter that way later because instead of the beds with fake
sheep fleece wearing out in 6 months to a year they are lasting for
many years now.
(Now, if only in the future we can have a local shelter with a
volunteer who sews well who would make those alterations for a set fee
to help the shelter... ;-) )
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
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