Well my jillettes Cassie and Andi gave me a birthday surprise yesterday by
deciding to come into heat.  This is indeed a surprise as they are not even
5 1/2 months old yet.
 
I will not be breeding them, but had planned to wait several more months
before spaying them.  I have some questions about options and am seeking
opinions from experienced breeders or others with knowledge in this area.
 
I know there is a growing concensus that waiting until a ferret is older
(perhaps up to a year old) before altering may be better for its long
term health.  What about the short term stresses of going through a false
pregnancy either from a hormone shot or v-hob visit?  Since they will not
be bred, might it be better just to go ahead and get them spayed now?  If
they go through false pregnancies, will I be able to keep them in the same
cage?
 
Also, I know that I would need to wait about 2 weeks before putting them
with a v-hob to make sure they are in full heat and receptive.  What about
the hormone shot?  Can that be done immediately or is it more effective if
the jill is in full heat as well?
 
Can someone tell me the name of the hormone and ferret dosage?  My
vet-around-the-corner is great at the basic stuff, but does not have a
lot of in-depth ferret experience, so I don't know if he has used these
shots in ferrets before.
 
Finally, out of curiosity, what is the youngest anyone has seen a jill
come into heat?
 
Thanks for any suggestions!
 
Linda Iroff
Oberlin OH
[Posted in FML issue 3457]