What is Really Needed to Maintain Ferret Hygiene?

It is a well known fact that ferrets have one of those odors that you can't place. One wonders "How can I help my ferret look and smell their best?"
In this how to guide, we will explore the ways we can keep your ferret looking and smelling their best from head to claw.

First, You have to know the anatomy of a ferrets

Ferrets belong to the Mustelidae family, which also includes weasels, badgers, minks, and our personal favorite-skunks. This group of animals is known for producing a pungent odor when scared or alarmed. Most ferrets that are bought through commercial means (i.e.-Pet stores) usually have their scent glands removed before they are shipped from the farm to the store. The scent glands are near the business end of the ferret. Ferrets also have oil glands in their skin but do not produce the concentrated smell that the scent sacs do.

Now that we know why ferrets have that musky smell, we can now look at what can keep these ominous odors to a minimum.

Bathing

Ferrets are a low maintenance animal when it comes to bathing. They only need to be bathed once a month at maximum (Unless they get something on them that can't be brushed off. Ferrets do a very good job of keeping their coats very clean on their own, but if there ever comes a time that you do need to bathe your ferret, there are important steps to remember:

1. Ferret's normal body temperature ranges from 100 F-104 F. When adjusting the temperature of the Ferrets water, make sure it never reaches below 100 F otherwise you could inadvertently cause your ferret to go into hypothermia. The ideal temperature is 103F (a little warmer than your bath water) . If you can put your hand in the water and it feels lukewarm, the water is too cold for your ferret.

2. Some ferrets love to swim while bathing. Be sure to fill the container you are bathing your ferret in to allow your ferret to swim around, The family bathtub makes an ideal "swimming pool" for ferrets. Be sure to also have a platform for the ferret to step on if they decide to take a rest. while swimming.