Seattle area vets are seeing way too many young MF ferrets in heat.  They
assume it's because (1) vet techs - not vets are doing the surgeries and
(2) because the ferrets are way too small to be spayed when they are
operated on.  (They also wonder out loud at their monthly exotic meeting,
how many ferrets die during/after the spay/neuter and descenting procedure
due to infection or lack of skills by vet techs.)
 
We've tried:
-hormone shots with limited success.
-exploratory surgery to find left over uterus or ovaries, also very limited
 success.
-most ferrets are given iron supplements and eventually go out of 'heat' on
 their own.
 
Our vets suspect that when these little girls get older, another exploratory
surgery will be necessary in order to find tumors or ovarian cysts.  MF has
been no help to our vets except to say that the ferret can be returned.  We
nor most ferret lovers are prepared to return these ferrets to be autopsied
by MF. :-(
 
Sandi
Best Little Rabbit, Rodent and Ferret House
Seattle, WA
[Posted in FML issue 2369]