Hello,
 
I have a question about ferret ovulation.  Last year our ferret Maggie
suffered from a swollen vulva.  We were quite concerned and took her to
the vet on two occasions.  Cancer was mostly ruled out with a sonogram
and so was insoloma (spelling?).  At any rate, we decided it was probably
due to the possibility that she had ovary cells left over despite being
fixed.  At any rate, in the fall the swelling went down and she began to
grow hair again (a very thick coat this time).
 
I went to the vet for her yearly check up and we discussed this issue and
plans for what to do next year if the problem occurs again.  I'm not sure
why, but I asked him if it was possible that the problem had been caused
by having her temperature taken anally at the emergency vet since the
swollen vulva happened only a couple of weeks after that.  The vet was
interested in this as a possibility.  He said that ferrets ovulate only
after being stimulated.  Has anyone heard this before?  If so, how does
that explain how her vulva was swollen for months after the event?  Any
thoughts or shared experiences would be appreciated!
 
Thanks!
 
Jessica & Maggie
[Posted in FML issue 4409]