Content
- The change of fur in domestic ferrets
- Brushing the fur of ferrets
- Ferret hair loss from other causes
Did you know that ferrets undergo a fur change? Ferrets such as mustelids in general, change their fur depending on the season which they will enter. Obviously, this change is much more noticeable in wild animals than in those raised in captivity for commercial purposes. The reason is that their existence takes place outdoors.
Keep reading this article from the Animal Expert to learn all about fur change.
The change of fur in domestic ferrets
the ferrets change their fur four times a year. The best quality of the fur appears in the beginning of winter when the first moult takes place and the fur is prettier.
As spring approaches, the fur begins to fall out to face the next period of heat. When summer comes, they lose a lot more hair to cool themselves as much as possible. Starting autumn the ferret begins to repopulate its fur and restart the natural process of hair change.
Domestic ferrets also have fur moults, but much softer than their wild counterparts, whose lives are exposed to much more radical changes in temperature.
Brushing the fur of ferrets
The ferret is a mustelid. Therefore, it is an animal with the aggressiveness of this species. Fortunately for humans, said ferocity is wisely limited by Mother Nature, and the ferret is one of the least ferocious.
The domestic ferret is also born in captivity and is used to contact with humans from the first moment. Although its energy charge should not be underestimated.
For all that, this information should alert us to its correct handling during brushing. We should not hurt them with the wrong brush or combs, or with an excess of force that makes them uncomfortable.
If we handle it incorrectly, the ferret will have no qualms about returning it in kind and giving it a painful bite with its sharp teeth.
it's convenient brush often and use a soft bristle brush. First, brush it away from the hair with short strokes and turning your wrist a little to lift the dead hair.
As soon as you finish the preliminary brushing, do another brushing but this time in the direction of the hair, with softness and longer strokes.
Ferret hair loss from other causes
Ferrets can lose hair for other reasons. Poor diet is the usual cause. Ferrets are carnivores and need a diet in which a percentage between 32-38% should be of animal proteins. They need an amount of animal fats of 15-20%.
Proteins of plant origin, such as soy, are not properly metabolized by the ferret's body. The veterinarian can correctly inform you about your ferret's specific feed. It's dangerous to overfeed them.
Another reason a ferret can experience anomalous hair loss is that the animal does not sleep properly. The ferret is twilight, that is, its maximum activity is developed from dusk to dawn. During the 10-12 hours you sleep, needs to be in absolute darkness to absorb the melanin needed for your health. If you sleep inadequately, you can have a disorder that causes you to die.
