Dear Nancy:
 
>How old is too old to be a good surgery candidate?  Except for a bout of
>giardia a year or so ago, Adjie has never been sick at all till now, and
>at his checkup and vaccination visit just a couple months before the
>diagnosis, the vet declared him remarkably healthy looking "for an old
>guy".
 
Candidacy for surgery is not based on chronological age, but the presence
of disease.  I have seen seven-year-old ferrets who are excellent surgical
candidates, and three year old ferrets who I wouldn't show a scalpel in a
magazine.  If Adjie is in good flesh, has no heart disease, has no other
current diseases such as ulcers, I would classify him as a good surgical
risk.
 
You don't lose ferrets due to age.  If you trust your vet to do this
relatively simple surgery, I think that from your description, Adjie's
up for it.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, dVM
[Posted in FML issue 3323]