One of the questions that is important for your ferrets health is spaying / neutering.
Unless you plan to use your ferret for breeding process then spaying /neutering your pet is highly recommended.
If you buy or adopt a ferret in a pet store or local breeder it will come to you most probably already fixed but still you need to know as much as you can about this topic so you can act in case you get kit or adult ferret which is not spayed /neutered yet.
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Perfect Age for Spaying / Neutering Procedure
The perfect age for spaying /neutering your ferret is before it becomes mature. For female ferrets or jills this is the age of 6-8 months and for male ferrets or hobs about 8-10 months .
Usually ferrets you buy through local pet store are spayed /neutered much younger , even at the age of 4 weeks .
Reasons for Spaying / Neutering Ferret
If you are not a private breeder and your pet will not be used in the breeding process than you should perform this procedure unless you got ferret already fixed.
Female ferrets can experience serious problems if not spayed when they come into heat. And not only problems, they can literally die.Why?
After jill becomes mature, in one moment she will come into heat ( this usually happens from March to September so in spring and summer when the days are longer, at least 12hours and the first breeding season of female is the first spring after birth).
The level of estrogen will be very high and if she will not mate, this hormone will stay in high numbers which can damage her health and eventually lead to her death.
High level of estrogen will influence on bone marrow. First white blood cells will be produced in lower numbers which means that your girl will be less protected and that she will not be able to fight against any infection and on the other hand her bone marrow will decrease the production of red blood cells which can lead to a life-threatening condition called aplastic anemia.
The bottom line is that your jill cannot come out of heat unless it is mated or spayed or receive instant help from the vet.
With male ferrets things are a little less complicated but still you should not keep your hob not neutered. If the hob is not neutered he will become very aggressive, very hard to handle. Also his smell will be stronger.
Type of Spaying / Neutering Procedures
These procedures are routine and although anaesthetic are must, ferrets usually do well. Of course like before any surgery, physical examination should be done, as well as appropriate blood work.
There are several types of procedures and you can discuss with your vet what option is the best for your pet.
Although sterilization is a common procedure performed to unable animals such as dogs and cats to breed it is not the only and always the best option for ferrets.
Female ferrets have following options :
- Spaying – surgical procedure during which the complete reproductive tract will be removed. This procedure will prevent jill come into heat ( and other health issues that get along with that ) as well as minimize the smell of your pet
- Hormone injections ( jill jab) – this is a short term but not invasive procedure. Your pet gets injections just before breeding season, which will stop the cycling process ( coming into heat ). Usually one injection is just enough for one season but it might happen that some jills need more than one.
- Hormone implant – similar to hormone injections but for a longer period. The best time of year for this procedure is early spring. This implant will stop her cycling for a period of 18 months ( usually two breeding season ) Hormone implants are used both for females and males ferrets but are licensed only for males
What Else You Can Do :
Mate your pet with intact male – this will stop her heat but most probably she will end up pregnant which is not recommended except if you are a breeder and have plans on breeding your ferrets
Mate your per with vasectomized male – this will stop the heat, will not leave your jill pregnant which is good. The bad thing is that you will not repeat the process several times until breeding season is on and this will not reduce her smell. Even worse thing is that she might think that she is pregnant and that can lead to more aggressive behavior and in some cases even milk production.
Male ferrets have following options :
- Castration – surgical procedure of testicles removal. As a result your male ferret will be unable to breed, his smell and aggressive behavior will be reduced.
- Vasectomy – procedure that will leave your ferret without a section of the sperm duct. The result is that your pet can still mate( as this procedure will not remove any testosterone) but cannot impregnate the females. This procedure will not reduce the smell.
- Hormone implant ( Suprelorin)- less invasive procedure, same as with females. Duration is about 16 months during which your hob will be unable to impregnate any jill. This will also reduce the smell but not instantly, 5-14 weeks after implantation. As a precaution you should keep your pet away from jill in heat a few weeks after this procedure. Hormone implants do not have to be removed after its efficacy runs out, the body will simply absorb it but it can be removed if you want to stop its action.
Cost of spaying /neutering procedures
The cost of surgical procedures is 150 – 300 USD. Count on that spaying /procedures for females are more expensive.
If you decide for hormone implants the cost is about 30-60$ per implant
The difference in the cost is big but remember that surgical procedures are a one-time thing and hormone injection and implants need to be repeated every 12-18 months.
Pros and cons of spaying /neutering procedures
Apart from obvious pros such as reduction of smell and aggressive behavior as well as making your pet unable to breed there are some other pros but also cons of these procedures
Pros :
- If you perform a surgical procedure on your pet, you will significantly reduce the possibility to get some reproductive tract cancer later in life to which ferrets are very susceptible.
- If your female ferret is spayed then she will avoid potentially deadly disease -aplastic anemia provoked by a high level of oestrogen during the heat season ( physical signs are: general weakness, decreased appetite, fur loss, enlarged vulva . If not treated this condition will lead to the death of the ferret in 4-6 months )
- The great advantage of medical sterilization in ferrets ( hormone injections and implants ) is that it reduces the risk of Adrenal gland disease development later in ferret’s life.
- You can keep mixed group of ferrets in your house if all are de-sexed
Cons :
- Disadvantage of surgical sterilization procedures is a great possibility for a ferret to get Adrenal gland disease in the future
Adrenal gland disease
Diseases are not the topic of this article but this condition is closely related to spaying /neutering procedures that is why it is important to say a few words about it.
Surgical procedures of spaying and neutering can lead to this condition which still does not have a cure . Of course, Adrenal gland disease can be managed but a real cure does not exist.
What I have noticed from small talk with other ferrets owners that sometimes male ferret which is neutered can behave very aggressively towards other females ( spayed female ) and even show some mating behavior. This could be the very first sign of Adrenal gland disease and signal to you to ask immediate help from the vet.
Some other signs are: hair loss, vulva swelling ( females ) and enlargement of the prostate( males) , muscle atrophy, lack of energy …
If you notice any of these signs you should contact your vet for further consultation and help .
