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Trimming Nails
A ferret's nails need to be trimmed regularly. Unlike the family dog or cat, a ferret uses his/her nails for walking and balance, which is why ferrets should never be declawed. Overgrown nails will not allow a ferret to place his/her feet flat on the floor, which could lead to injury. Keeping a ferret's nails trimmed will also prevent splitting of the nails. A split nail can get caught in carpeting and bedding and could cause a ferret to actually pull his/her nail out while trying to free him/herself.
A ferret's nail need to be trimmed about every 2 to 3 weeks. However, just like humans' nails, the frequency varies from ferret to ferret.
There are many methods for nail trimming. Some folks place the ferret on it's back on the human's lap and place a bit of Ferretone or Ferritvite on the ferret's belly to act as a distraction while the nails are being trimmed.
Other folks scruff the ferret with one hand and trim nails with the other. I used this method for a number of years and found it worked well for front nails. However, I found that I had a difficult time trimming the back nails of any ferret. To trim back nails, I always had to have my husband scruff while I trimmed.
Some folks scruff a ferret with their mouth so that they have both hands free to do the trimming. From what I've read, this method works well, other than during a shed, when the scruffer ends up with a mouth full of fuzz. ;)
What works best for me is to lay the ferret on it's back in an old, heavy glass refrigerator dish lined with a heavy, hand towel folded in half. I make sure the towel comes up over the sides of the dish. My dish has inside measurements of 8" long, 3.5" across, and about 3" deep. The dish does a good job of keeping the ferret from rolling around. Helga, my 1 lb 5 oz ferret sunk all the way to the bottom of the dish; while Clark, my 3 lb 12 oz ferret kinda lays across the top of it. I have found the dish to be the perfect size for my 2 lb to 3 lb 8 oz ferrets.
A loaf pan would probably work very well, too. One may need to line the pan a little more heavily to keep the ferret from sinking to the bottom of the pan.
I apply either Ferretone or The Ferret Store's Vitatone to their bellies with a 1 cc syringe, as I have better control of how much 'tone I apply than by applying it straight from the bottle. I can hold the syringe to the ferret's nose so he/she can smell it and then move the syringe to the ferret's belly, guiding the ferret's face to the area where I apply the Ferretone.
I trim nails while sitting at a desk that has a desk lamp. I position the lamp so the light is shining from behind the ferret. Having a good light source makes trimming nails much easier, and I am less likely to trim a nail too short as I can see the ferret's nails really well.
For the actual trimming of nails, one can use ferret nail clippers, cat nail clippers, or human fingernail clippers. I've tried cat nail clippers, but I prefer human fingernail clippers. I find them easier to handle and easier to see what I'm doing. It's all a matter of personal preference.
When trimming nails, you'll want to pay close attention to how far back you trim them. The pink in the nail is blood and trimming the nail back to the pink will cause the nail to bleed and will be painful to the ferret as there is also a nerve in the pink part of the nail.
If you do happen to trim a nail too short, you can use styptic powder, flour or cornstarch to stop the bleeding. Be sure to give a treat after trimming nails, particularly if a nail is trimmed too short.
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A close-up of my refrigerator dish.
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I call this my surgery suite. LOL I get everything ready before I begin trimming nails, including filling 5 syringes with 'tone.
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Phoebe fits in the dish nicely.
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Eddie says, "Do with me what you will."
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Clark just kinda lays on top of the dish.
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