>I recently rescued a whole male who is approx. 2 yrs old.  I took him to
>the vet had him ADV tested, vaccinated and nuetered.  My vet wanted to
>descent him at the same time ?  It is my understanding that descenting an
>adult ferret is dangerous and unnecessary.  I've heard horror stories
>about adult ferrets being descented.  My vet said he never heard of such a
>thing.  In any case the new little fuzzy (Teddy) is doing well and is not
>descented.  Does anyone have any information on this subject that I could
>print out and give to my vet for future reference ?
 
In any surgery, there is a possibility of complications.  In anal gland
removal, those complications can include incontinence, draining tracts from
retained tissue, infection, etc.  I don't recommend removing the scent
glands (though I have been trained in the surgery) unless there is a
medical reason (and 3 of my 4 ferrets are not descented).
 
I do have commentary in the book regarding descenting, if your vet is
interested.
 
Karen Purcell DVM
Author of Essentials of Ferrets: A Guide for Practitioners
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Uxbridge, MA
[Posted in FML issue 3470]