http://www.smartgroups.com/message/readmessage.cfm?
gid=1423922&messageid=10375&startid=10372
 
I suspect that you are asking if the reason for the young age of altering
(neutering/spaying) ferrets is a function of greed on the breeders
(usually the large pet-store supply farms).  Actually, not in my opinion.
The thing is that female ferrets that are not spayed will often die when
they go into heat for the first time at nine months or so - and IMO, that
is an even larger health threat, given the number of ferrets I see for
the first time at two or three years old who have never been to a vet
since they were purchased at the pet store, than adrenal disease is.
 
I would rather see the three and four year olds with adrenal disease
than the ten month old jills who are dying of anemia.  Is that the reason
the farms do the procedures before they sell the kits?  I don't know - I
don't have access to their policy statements.  But it's not all bad.
 
Of course the ideal is for all ferret owners to understand what needs to
be done to keep their ferrets healthy.  Sadly, that is all too often not
the case.
 
Dr. Ruth
********************************************
Puppies kiss better than most people.
[Posted in FML issue 4623]