To Randy McCaskill:
 
>My 2 year old son (ferret, of course) Marvin seems to be spraying way
>too often. ...  I am not sure, but I think the problem started when
>he had an intestinal infection that left him with runny poop for a
>while...  Even today (8 to 10 months >later) he still has runny poop
>occasionally.  Is he a good candidate for descenting?
 
        Randy - if he smells all of the time, and you are sure it is the anal
sacs, then he is a good candidate.  If a ferret only sprays every once in a
while - I usually don't recommend it, nor do I recommend it as a routine
practice.
 
        But make sure you take him to a vet with experience doing this in
ferrets.  The procedure is not without possible complications, and this is a
very small area to work with.
 
        The occasional runny stool is not uncommon in ferrets, as a result of
their gastrointestinal misadventures.  But should they persist for longer than
24 hours -  a closer investigation is most assuredly warranted.
 
--
Bruce Williams, DVM, DACVP              Department of Veterinary Pathology
[log in to unmask]               Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
[log in to unmask]             Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
(202) 782-2600/2602
[Posted in FML issue 1168]