On Thu, 17 Apr 1997, Automatic digest processor wrote:
>From:    "Newell, Tim" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Birth announcement and 7th heaven mail address
>...I go to get Daisy from the carrier and hear crying coming from there
>number 15 so I clean that one up and put it with the others and put Daisy
 
Wow.  Fifteen babies.  Congratulations momma and you.  I hope you're working
with some experienced breeders, Tim!  Good luck!!
 
In reply to Linnea:
>>Help!  my ferret's in heat!  i need to know if you can get a ferret fixed
>>once their in heat.  if not, then i need to right away find a whole male
>>ferret in Michigan.
>From:    Kymberlie Becker <[log in to unmask]>
>No, you can't get your ferret spayed while she's in heat, but don't breed
>her, either.
 
You CAN get your ferret spayed while in heat.  According to vets in my area
that deal with ferrets it is a bit more risky because of increased blood
flow in the reproductive organs, but is completely doable.  It is best to do
the surgery prior to heat or early on in heat, but my Minnie was spayed
after being in heat for about four weeks (there were reasons she was in heat
this long that I won't go into) and she sailed through surgery; and this
with a congenital heart murmer of 3 of 6, six being the worst, and three
being symptom free.  The important thing is to find a vet who is experienced
at spaying ferrets (shouldn't cost much more than $90-100 for an experienced
vet, including 10-20 more for added work due to increased blood flow; and
shouldn't take much more than 20-30 minutes for an experienced vet).
 
You have strong opinions about not breeding and I respect that, especially
if you operate a shelter and see many homeless ferrets.  Personally I'd like
to see more people with one or two established breeding pairs that have one
litter a year (each) with kits that our carefully placed.  I can't see
breeders keeping kits until they're six-eight months before
spaying/neutering and adopting out.  And I don't think early neutering is
preferable at all.  I'm really soft hearted and it is hard for me to know of
people with many "breeders" that are often adopted out when their breeding
days are done and they most need a good home with potential health problems
looming.  Of course there are many breeders somewhere in between, and no
slam is intended to anyone.  This is just my feeling about optimal breeding.
 
>From:    Anonymous Poster <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Ferret in heat
>TAKE YOUR GIRL TO THE VET IMMEDIATELY!!  Unfortunately when you got your
>bred at her first heat.  This is a very serious problem since your girl has
>hemorrhage and die from this...I have a friend... By their third day in
>heat they were taken to the vet where they unfortunately couldn't be saved;
>one died during surgery and the other had to be put down.  She of course was
 
Jills can come into heat at a very early age and they can be spayed then.
 
My guess is the vet wasn't experienced at spaying jills and took too much
time, or wasn't otherwise skilled, or maybe there were other complications.
The vets I spoke too preferred to spay Minnie than to subject her to hormone
shots.  I did not want to take her to a "dud" stud because of ECE issues at
the time... the last thing she would have needed was ECE!  If a dud stud is
available this option is certainly okay, but she should be bred very soon in
case the first breeding doesn't take her out of heat and she needs a second.
 
Take Care Linnea and let us know how she does!
 
Lynn Mc.
[Posted in FML issue 1906]