Boy, is Beth ever RIGHT!  We've had ferrets of all sort of ages have
surgeries (over the last more than 15 years that we've shared our lives with
ferrets), with the oldest being eight years of age and the two sickest being
that 8 year old and a six year old who had to have multiple simultaneous
surgeries despite also having cardiomyopathy.  They are wonderful surgical
candidates; so far each one we've had has made it through just fine, healed,
and had some extra happy time in this world thanks to the surgeries.  (That
streak will end at some point but it's a good one and a testimony to having
excellent vets.  We typically use the Basking Ridge Animal Hospital in N.J.,
with our primary vet there being Hanan Caine.) Actually, I have been
rattling my brains trying to recall if we ever had one receive a surgical
procedure at anything younger than 5 years and the only one I can come up
with was Helix who had a biopsy at the AMC over a decade ago when she was
young.  Otherwise, I guess the most common age for surgery among our
ferrets is probably late in the 6th year, maybe a touch older, maybe a
touch younger.
 
The trick is to have a GOOD vet.  If your vet doesn't know ferrets YOU can
greatly improve your ferrets' survival chances by passing on the Medical
FAQs available through the FML server or by going to
http://www.ferretcentral.org
to your vet and any emergency vets you use!!!!!!!!!!
 
Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 2483]