Ferret spay - ? pregnant

RE: Ferret spay - ? pregnant

bevs2251 — Thu, 04 May 2017 07:52:06 GMT

I disagree. I have speyed many ferrets (100s), done several exploratories for foreign bodies, and operated on a few to remove the left adrenal gland. I have never had one chew their sutures out. Perhaps it is the type of suture material you use ? Ferrets speys are easy - much easier than a rabbit, basically the same as a cat. Just ensure you definitely remove the ovaries as there is a lot more fat around them than other animals. They are only friable if speyed at < 6 months of age, I've found (then an ovary might rip off !! As happened to me once). If they are in season and length of time unknown, injection of proligestone & reschedule for 1-2 months time. If in season only 1-2 weeks, I would spey them as it is a little easier to find the uterus and ovaries. I always recommend speying due to the risk of ovarian cancer & oestrogen-induced bone marrow suppression. The recommendations by a specialist in Australia is to spey at 6 months + Deslorelin implant (12 month) at same time, then every 2-3 years to stave off adrenal disease. I intubate with size 2, 2.5 or 3 tube. Sedation, mask, then shoelaces around canines and vet nurse to keep mouth open. Grab tongue with smooth forceps & pass tube. Do not need any local anaesthetic. Tough creatures, good GAs usually, unless on death's door !

RE: Ferret spay - ? pregnant

Marie Kubiak — Tue, 05 Apr 2016 10:19:26 GMT

Subclinical disease is probably widespread but clinical disease is not that common in my experience- we see a few cases a year and rarely see signs more exciting than fur loss. The clinical picture from the US is markedly different as their ferrets are neutered at 6wks, genetically not very diverse and are kept indoors, massively increasing incidence and decreasing age of onset. Mainland Europe seems again to have bigger problems but there is no data for the UK so difficult to give a figure.

Given the ease of treating it if picked up early I am happy to surgically neuter but tell owners what to look for so if the adrenals cause issues we implant promptly and the ferret stays happy.

Marie

RE: Ferret spay - ? pregnant

Robin Grimmer — Tue, 05 Apr 2016 08:43:34 GMT

So how big a risk is adrenal disease in ferrets if they are neutered?

RE: Ferret spay - ? pregnant

Marie Kubiak — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 22:16:33 GMT

We keep a single bottle in stock but have gone from using it several times a month to maybe twice a year. Shame as it does seem to work nicely and there was no apparent rationale for changing the shelf life...

RE: Ferret spay - ? pregnant

Gillian Mostyn — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 22:10:35 GMT

[quote user="Marie Kubiak"]. A single injection of 0.5ml delvosteron is generally effective.[/quote]

Marie Kubiak

Do you find it economically viable to continue to stock/ use delvo? We no longer do, since it became a single use product.

RE: Ferret spay - ? pregnant

David Mills — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 21:28:23 GMT

Just like a cat spay but a bit fiddlier and smaller. Nothing to be scared of. Don't think they're friable. Re GA find triple or quad combos as per cat doses work well, intubate. Always use intradermal sutures to close as ferrets have an innate ability to remove external sutures and start eating their own intestines.

RE: Ferret spay - ? pregnant

Marie Kubiak — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 20:27:41 GMT

If the female is in season (usually clear by very swollen vulva) I would get her out of season first if the owner doesn't know how long this has been going on as she may have an oestrogen related thrombocytopaenia which can be problematic with surgery. A single injection of 0.5ml delvosteron is generally effective. To be honest if the male has been humping her she is likely to have ovulated and be out of season but still worth checking.

If pregnant then I would proceed with spay if she is otherwise healthy, she is not near term and the owner doesn't want to keep any babies. If huge babies are present I would be tempted to leave her to have them and then spay her if they weren't related but would still advocate spay and abortion with related animals.

Ferret spays are much like midline cat spays other than a bit more fat around the bursa that makes ovaries less clear. Same attendant risks for pregnant spays but not scary - if small fetuses then do a normal spay, if near term then I euthanase babies after removal of the uterus by injecting them with pentobarb. I haven't found them especially friable.

Marie

RE: Ferret spay - ? pregnant

Gillian Mostyn — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 17:35:13 GMT

[quote user="Lindsay Sissons"]I did suggest the implant to the owner but the price was prohibitive. I will be mentioning the increased risk of adrenal disease at the admit tomorrow. [/quote]

As long as they are happy to watch for symptoms, and treat if needed, then the risk doesn't seem to be very high.

[quote user="Lindsay Sissons"]Vasectomy is also on the discuss list for tomorrow, but I think these ferrets are going to be kept indoors so that will not reduce the smell.[/quote]

To be honest, neutering doesn't reduce the smell very much either!

RE: Ferret spay - ? pregnant

Lindsay Sissons — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 15:15:41 GMT

I did suggest the implant to the owner but the price was prohibitive. I will be mentioning the increased risk of adrenal disease at the admit tomorrow. Vasectomy is also on the discuss list for tomorrow, but I think these ferrets are going to be kept indoors so that will not reduce the smell.

RE: Ferret spay - ? pregnant

Robin Grimmer — Mon, 04 Apr 2016 15:04:30 GMT

Neutering a ferret (either sex) is not difficult. Easier than a rabbit spay. However neutering has been linked to the development of adrenal tumours in females (I'm not sure about males) so you could use a suprelorin implant. Alternatively you could perform a vasectomy on the hob and leave the female entire. I've done these too and also not difficult.