Yesterday, Kymberlie wrote on the FML:
 
>No, you can't get your ferret spayed while she's in heat, but don't breed
 
On the recommendation of one of the breeders of my jills, and with the
advice of a couple of vets and breeders on this list, I waited *until* my
jills started going into heat before having them spayed.  They were 4.5
months and 6 months old, respectively--a little precocious.
 
Now, they weren't in heat very long.  I brought them to the vet's within two
weeks of first noticing the "blossoming" of their vulvas, and neither of
them had reached full bloom at the time of surgery.
 
Is there a point at which the surgery is NOT indicated for a jill in heat,
because bleeding or other surgery complications would present greater risk
than chancing success for a hormonal injection or dud-stud? If so, what
would the vet use as an indicator? CBC for anemia?  What would be the
vet's criteria for choosing one method (spay, shot, vasectomized hob) over
another in a case of prolonged heat?
 
While I'm at this, it seems to me that those of us who subscribe to the
late-alter theory should be looking at biological cues for spay/neuter
rather than arbitrary chronological markers.  The 6-, 7-, and 8-month
deadlines I've heard seem to be based on breeder's averages for when jills
and hobs in their own lines start to ripen--these probably shouldn't be
applied across the board.
 
It seems to me that if we're trying to get the hypothetical benefit of
letting a ferret reach its sexual maturity before spay/neuter, we should be
looking at whether the individual ferret has reached that point, rather than
relying on the calendar.  For jills, I think, this means that they start
going into heat--and so, you are spaying them while they are in heat.
 
Mind you, as this was my first experience with ferrets, the wait for the
swollen vulvas and for the surgery was very stressful on me.  The
jills/sprites, however, took it all in stride, even the daily peeking at
their privates.  Knowing my breeders' averages, though, was very helpful,
especially with the jill that freshened at 4.5 months.  Six months would
have been too late for her.
 
Back to thread, that the breeder didn't tell the person who bought the jill
what to do really does bother me.  I think that most breeders, and certainly
the ones on this list, are responsible.  It's hard to reach the ones that
aren't, and hard to reach all owners that might find themselves in this
situation.  We, as ferret owners, clubs, and breeders, really need to try to
get this information out--in books, as part of the pamphlets we distribute,
at educational talks ... is there anything else we can do?
 
Another thing: pictures would really help.  If you, as a breeder or a club,
distribute literature on this, a line drawing or "crotch-shot" of a ripe
jill and hob would be useful.
 
-- Lee
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[Posted in FML issue 1905]