| First-time
ferret keepers are often surprised to learn that their
new pet must be spayed or neutered. "I don't
plan to breed her," they may reason, or "Why
should I have him altered if he's never going to come
into contact with any unspayed female ferrets?"
The fact is, this simple surgical procedure can save
your pet's life.
Most
companion ferrets for sale by breeders and pet shops
have already been altered. This is commonly done
when the animal is as young as five weeks old. However,
if for some reason you have purchased an unaltered
animal, it is recommended that the ferret be spayed
or neutered by the time she or he is six months
old.
Spaying Female Ferrets Is A Necessity
For
females, spaying is an absolute medical necessity.
Unlike other mammals who go into heat for a fixed,
short period of time, a ferret will stay in heat
until she is bred. And if she stays in heat long
enough, she will most likely become anemic from
the constant blood flow to her uterus and vagina--a
condition that can be fatal. The stress of the heat
can also weaken her immune system, putting her at
risk of disease and infection. A female can be spayed
after she goes into heat, but the veterinarian will
first have to administer a hormone injection to
bring her out of heat. Hormone injections, however,
are NOT a viable alternative to spaying.
Wondering
when ferret mating season begins? If you have an
unneutered male, he'll be sure to let you know.
When a ferret enters rut--the period of time when
he is ready, willing and able to breed--he will
mark his territory with an unbelievably smelly slime.
(FYI when not in rut, he will also smell much stronger
than his neutered counterparts.) Unaltered ferrets
also become very aggressive with other males and
even females in the home; in some unfortunate cases,
an unaltered male will try to kill other ferrets,
even if they are neutered or spayed. For these reasons,
it is strongly recommended that only neutered males
be kept as pets.
Considering Spaying Female Ferrets or Breeding Them?
If
you do not want to spay or neuter your pet because
you are thinking of breeding your ferret, please
think again. There are so many things that can go
wrong during pregnancy and, in general, female ferrets
make poor mothers. It is not uncommon for mothers
to fail to nurse or, in the worst case scenario,
kill their young. And should she have a difficult
pregnancy or labor, which happens often, the female
could die. Ferret breeding should be left to the
professionals. And did you know that there is a
serious ferret overpopulation problem? Rescue groups
and shelters are filled with fuzzballs in need of
homes, If you absolutely must have another ferret,
by all means consider adopting one. You'll feel
good just knowing you've given an animal a second
chance at a good life!
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