From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2011-04-04 16:26:22 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] comb and brush to avoid furballs
To: fhl <ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com>
It's one of those times of the year again with sheds going on. Combing and brushing at least once a day to avoid much of the fur even getting in not only keeps ferrets comfortable but can avoid the need for furball preparations.
Second reminder: oil does NOT help with fur. Oil is hard to digest and slows digestion. For moving fur through what is needed is an indigestible substance that moves through pretty fast and easily while grabbing fur along the way: white petrolatum/the edible versions of petroleum jelly. (There is a lot more on that in the archives including the types of petrolatum.)
Still, that need can be avoided with regular combing and brushing during the Spring and Autumn shedding seasons.
Furballs can become large enough to require surgery, so can "fur"balls of some artificial fibers such as fake sheep fleece. Polar fleece does not seem to shed much but fake sheep fleece does, can not be digested, and is long enough that it clumps in the digestive tract.
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/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)
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