>My point about descenting is that I believe everyone should have the right
>to decide for their own ferrets.  There ARE good reasons to descent and it
>is not always and automatically the work of Satan.
 
Just 3 cases of anal sac cancer in 8000 ferrets.  Reading your original post
it sounded as if you were advocating mass de-scenting of all ferrets, and
you've probably scared the living daylights out of half the owners with
'scented' ferrets.  OK, now you say that it is personal choice and that
ferret keepers shouldn't get flamed if they choose to opt for unnecessary
mutilation of their pets!  The "unnecessary mutilation" are the words of the
veterinary profession in the UK - I just agree happen to agree with them.  I
agree that removal of the adrenal gland was not a sensible suggestion as a
ferret does need it to be able to live but by the same token it could be
argued that ferrets use their scent glands for defence and for the sheer
hell of it!
 
We all agree that ferrets not being used for breeding should be neutered
(a) it prevents the jill getting infections from being left in season and
(b) it help to stop the 'boys' fighting  and it cuts down on the musky smell
    of a hob in season!
 
The problem is the very early spay/castration practised in the US.  Vets
here won't neuter until the ferret is at least 6 months old, in the case of
hobs my own vet prefers to wait until the testis have dropped.  I choose to
wait until a jill has come into season and use my vasectomised hob to bring
her out and then get her spayed.  Let the ferret reach sexual maturity
before operating.  I wonder how many kits are lost to the shock of surgery
at such an early age - are there any figures available on this?
 
Ferrets in the USA have about 30% less life expectancy than ferrets here in
the UK.  You should be asking why the discrepancy?  Something, somewhere is
very wrong.  Is the early neuter connected to endocrine diseases such as
insulinomas and adrenal adenomas?  The leading ferret vet in the UK has
checked with his colleagues both in practice and research and none of them
have seen a case of insulinoma or adrenal adenoma in British ferrets.
 
I am not trying to say that British ferrets are better - I would just love
to see American ferrets have the same life expectancy as ferrets
this side of the 'pond', I reckon American ferret keepers would love
to have their ferrets live as long as ours - however, it probably wouldn't
suit the ferret 'mills'!
 
Breeders such as Bill Killian could help to improve the lot of US ferrets.
Bill, do you neuter ferret kits before selling them?  What I would like to
see is the price of neutering included in the cost of the kit, and a clause
added to the bill of sale to the effect that if the ferret remains the
property of the breeder until it has been neutered at 6 to 8 months of age.
It probably wouldn't work but it would be interesting to see if it improved
the lot of the ferret.
 
Most responsible breeders in the UK wait until kits are least 10 weeks old
before even thinking of parting them from their mother.  They like the kit
to get a good start in life - one chap I was talking to yesterday said that
it is amazing how much a kit can grow whilst it is with its mother but kits
removed too soon appear to suffer from lack of growth, must be shock of
leaving mum!  Plus the mother helps to socialise her babies.
 
Sheila
[log in to unmask]
Bolton Ferret Welfare
National Ferret Welfare Society Newsletter Editor
http://www.btinternet.com/~sheila/ferrets.htm (Last Update 27 Jan 1998)
Waiting at Rainbow Bridge: Jill & Deanna Troi.
[Posted in FML issue 2205]