>From:    Luis Alejandro <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Teef.
>Hi.  This is Suki-Bear again and I need some advice on teef.  One night my
>Lady-Bear was laying on my lap and she yawned and I got peek into her mouth
>and I saw some brown stuff on her teefies.  It was just on two teef.  A few
>days later I pinched her neck so she'd yawn and I did'nt see it.  Was it
>maybe just food remnants stuck on her teefs?  I called the vet and she said
>If I notice anything else I should bring her in to get her teef scraped.
>What happens during this procedure?  Does it hurt?  Do they get put to
>sleep??
 
Your vet is absolutely correct.  If it sticks to the teeth its tarter and
needs to be removed.  If its there just a little while yes its just food
particles that will hopefully not stick and lead to tarter.  There are no
nerve endings in the teeth so it really doesn't hurt but ferrets really
don't like having things stuck in their mouths and their mouths held open so
its uncomfortable.  Some vets put the ferrets under anathesia to do this so
they can do a better job.  Most of us who regularly scale (scrape away the
tarter) do it without.
 
>From:    Shari Diane <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Ferret spaying while in heat
>On Sat, 16 Aug 1997 Heather wrote:
>>I was given her by the breeder here in town under the condition I would (OF
>>COURSE!!) get her fixed...so I had to breed her and then when she was out
>>of season get her fixed.
 
>I don't understand - female ferrets *can* be spayed while in full blown
>heat.  Why, then, would you have to breed Emily before spaying?
 
Most vets prefer to not operate on a ferret in season.  We would normally
breed to a vasectomized hob any jill in estrus before having her spayed.  It
sounds like this ferret was in no condition for surgery anyway.  We would
have opted for the hormone injection in this caseas it seems less stressful
than dud studding.  Vets that we've talked to have to charge more for the
spay if the jill is in estrus - my guess since I didn't actually ask why
would be swelling of the glands/organs/whatnot.  A vet might certainly be
able to answer that question though.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 2040]