Content
If you've decided to adopt a ferret as a pet, you may be wondering if this is the right animal for you. Among the frequent doubts about ferrets and their care, the bad smell always appears as a cause of abandonment.
Inform yourself correctly in this article by PeritoAnimal to know what is for sure about the ferret's stench and what we can do to prevent it and make us feel better about it.
Read on and discover a series of advice for ferret stench.
Sterilization
Most of the ferrets we find in shelters already available for adoption are spayed, why does this happen? Does it have to do with the bad smell?
O male ferret, when he is one year old, he begins to develop glands to attract specimens of the other sex or to mark territory and drive away his competitors. When sterilizing a male we can avoid:
- Bad smell
- Territoriality
- tumors
sterilize the female ferret it also has certain advantages, this because they undergo hormonal changes to attract the male that also involve the use of their glands. When sterilizing we can avoid:
- bad odor
- hormonal problems
- Hyperestrogenism
- Anemia
- Alopecia
- reproduction
- tumors
- reproduction
perianal glands
Ferrets have perianal glands, two of which are located inside the anus, communicating to it through small channels.
We must know that a sterilized ferret, due to not having heat or sexual excitement, already does not produce the bad smell regularly, but it can happen if you experience a strong emotion, change or excitement.
The extirpation of the perianal glands must always be carried out by a professional already experienced in this procedure, otherwise our pet may suffer from incontinence, prolapses and other diseases resulting from the operation. it is optional and the owner must make this decision.
As a ferret owner, you should plan whether you want to carry out this operation or not and consider whether the problems that the surgery may involve have more weight than the bad smell it can produce at certain times, although you should know that you will never be able to eliminate 100% of the bad smell. At the Animal Expert we do not recommend the removal of these glands.
The perianal glands aren't the only ones your ferret has. There are others distributed throughout the body that can also lead to some bad odor. The uses of these can be many, including providing them with ease to defecate, protection from a predator, etc.
Tricks to avoid bad smell
Without a doubt, the best option is not to remove the perianal glands, which is why, at Animal Expert, we offer you some useful advice to prevent and try. avoid the bad smell that the ferret might release:
- Clean your cage practically every day or every two days, including the grids that we can clean with wet wipes, for example. When cleaning, use a disinfectant and neutral product that does not harm the skin or may contaminate the food.
- You should pay daily attention and clean the area of the cage or living space where you are used to doing your needs. Doing so prevents the appearance of diseases, infections, etc.
- As we do with other pets, you should clean the ferret's ears, removing the wax weekly or fortnightly. Performing this process reduces the risk of an infection and also reduces the bad smell.
- Bathe the ferret once a month at most, because on its skin we find a fat that protects it from the outside. Furthermore, as with puppies, excessive bathing produces bad odor.
- Finally, it's important that you keep your ferret quiet during the day by trying not to excite or frighten him. This way you reduce the chances that you will emit a strong smell that you want to get rid of.
Do you want to know more about Hurons?
If you are a fan of ferrets, don't miss the following articles that will certainly be of interest to you:
- Basic ferret care
- the ferret as a pet
- My ferret doesn't want to eat pet food - Solutions and recommendations
- Ferret names