>From:    Shawna Kaufman <[log in to unmask]>
>Does descenting lessen a ferret's odour IN *ANY*WAY?
 
Descenting your ferret will have virtually no effect on the way he/she
smells, unless said ferret "sprays" or lets go of the ole scent gland.  That
smell is something entirely different from stinky hob smell and while it may
send you screaming from the room, it only lasts a few moments.  After a
spray, rinse your ferret's bottom under some warm water and wipe it off.
Voila, no more smell.
 
Remember that stinky ferret smell is controlled by their sexual urges, and
that once they are neutered and have no more sexual urges, they won't smell.
Descenting your ferret will only take away his (extremely, in my opinion,
powerful) form of defense.  Most ferrets only "spray" in serious wrestling
matches or when you jump around a corner and yell "AAAAARRRRGGGHHHH" at them
when they aren't expecting it (just ask my SO, who recently did this wicked
thing to one of our young hobs, and paid the smelly penalty for such unfair
behaviour).  Some ferrets seem to have little or no control over their
glands, but his happens rarely.  Those ones we like to descent because they
definately go overboard.
 
Descenting, in most cases, is merely an unneccessary expense.  When one of
our hobs sprays, I just follow the smell and spray a cleaning agent in the
general area where it smells strongest and instantly it vanishes.  If I
leave it alone, the smell dissipates in a few moments all on it's own.  It
doesn't stain, doesn't hang around and doesn't have any major effect on the
overall smell of the ferret who did it.
 
With 33 ferrets in our small home, many whole animals, many altered but not
descented animals, I was payed the best compliment ... a friend (and an
owner of just five ferrets) came over and said "Now see, you're house
doesn't smell at all." Lots of clean bedding and daily scooping of the ole
litterboxes is all it takes.  You just have to have discipline, not hundreds
of dollars to descent the furry bundles of joy.
 
Sheena
Wherret Ferrets Halfway House and Ferretry
Ferret Association of Greater Vancouver
[Posted in FML issue 1674]