From:
"asmodeusazarak"
Date: 2009-12-04 16:07:23 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: New Member - Question
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hello and welcome.
Cleaning up the random strings and fuzz sounds like a good idea, but I've never heard of ingesting things like that being a major issue. The biggest threat is generally soft rubbery things (like erasers, some balls, etc) that come apart when ferrets chew on them and the pieces are easily ingested. I also worry about Styrofoam though I've never seem them eating it, but they do tend to leave it in pieces all over if they get the chance.
I find that by far the best ferret bedding is old t-shirts and jeans. Obviously not something you've used for a cleaning rag, but those old T-shirts you don't really wear anymore, maybe they have a hole in them or you don't like that band anymore. They can dig in that a bit without leaving fuzz all over, and sometimes a T-shirt in their hammock or sleeping bag makes them love it even more.
As a bonus they sleep in your smell every night if you used to wear it, especially with young ferrets I really think this helps the bonding process.
If you aren't already I would throw your ferret stuff through the washer and dryer now and then. It will help with the smell and occasional shedding, you will lose some of that "you" smell, but it will also remove a lot of those pieces of loose thread or fuzz. We use an all natural laundry detergent, I'm not sure if there are some out there that could be harmful, never heard of it but thought I'd throw it out there.
Is it a cough or sneeze? Coughs are rare, and could be a bad sign, ours had that from the swine flu, only time I've seen any consistent ferret coughing. Sneezing is pretty common though, happens whenever they get dust up their nose, which for a ferret is pretty common.
Best wishes for you and your fuzzy kids,
Az
[There are several reports of ferrets needing stomach
surgery who turned out to have fake "sheep fleece"
fibers in the "fur"ball. We've had one ourselves whose
"fur"ball was mostly those fibers when tested so we
covered those beds and anything bought since then
does not have exposed fake "sheep fleece" which is
not digestible. Reports are in the separate FHL
Archives.
-- Moderator]
------------------------------------
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
ferrethealth-digest@yahoogroups.com
ferrethealth-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ferrethealth-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/