This small mustelid is undoubtedly one of the most appreciated pets, however, the arrival of its reproductive age can be quite a problem, especially if we have several of these mammals at home.
If you have an unneutered male or female ferret, on our site we will give you some tips and indications that you should take into account before assessing the age or the price in the different clinics. If you're wondering When is the best age to neuter my ferret? Keep reading, we'll explain everything below:
The endocrine system: The enemy in the house
Ferrets have quite a complicated endocrine system when compared to domestic mammals we are used to, such as dogs and cats. The insulinomas tumors of the endocrine portion of the pancreas) and the hyperestrogenism (toxicity that affects bone marrow due to high estrogen levels), are the order of the day in this species.
For this reason, and because of the unpleasant behavior associated with heat, especially in males, castration in both sexes is something we will have to accept, for their good (and ours). For a few years, ferrets came to us from various countries that supplied pet stores in response to demand. The worst thing that can happen to a species or breed is "to become fashionable", since these ferrets arrived barely three months old, and already neutered.
Neutering a ferret at that age is totally counterproductive, since this treacherous endocrine system tends to give other organs the feature we removed so early.
The suprarenal or adrenal glands, which are located above the kidneys of all species, begin to receive the action of hormones that are produced in the pituitary gland (the command center, housed in the brain), producing tumors, and even the development of cells that can behave like suppressed gonads (ovaries and testicles).
So what would be the best age to neuter my ferret?
In both males and females, ideally we can wait until the ferret is at least 15 months old, although not always possible. However, surgery should not be performed before 12 months of age. Next, we are going to differentiate between males and females when performing castration.
Neuter a female ferret
Castration in females (removal of ovaries and uterus), is intended to suppress all reproductive activity. Ferrets have induced ovulation, that is, until there is copulation, the signs of heat do not disappear. On rare occasions there is spontaneous ovulation, but it is difficult for it to happen (the same thing that happens with cats and rabbits). That is why his heat is permanent once he appears.
The problem is that estrogen, the hormone that is high during heat, is toxic in high amounts to the bone marrow. That the heat lasts more than a week is already beginning to be worrying and endangers the life of our ferret.
For this reason, although the recommendation is to wait until at least 15 months, we know that our ferret will begin to be jealous around 7-9 months (it is indicative and depends on many factors: the hours of light, the weight achieved, genetics, food and habitat…).
What is the best option to neuter a ferret?
We can delay the coming into heat a bit playing with the daylight hours As with parakeets or canaries, if we have a Where to let them sleep for about 16 hours a day in their first year of life in the dark (something that does not cost much to this active but sleepy mammal), we can delay the arrival of sexual maturity. It works better on males, but it is interesting to try it on females.
Let's remember that living with more ferrets, especially if there are males among them, can advance the coming into heat of the female ferrets. It is the so-called "male effect"
And if she comes into heat and doesn't go away at 9 months of age, for example?
Let's suppose that the ferret comes into heat well before she is 15 months old, and has been with him for days. We will notice it by the swollen vulva with an edematous appearance, slight development of breasts, and a different behavior (each ferret is different, from more affectionate to more aggressive), it may even mark with droplets of urine to "look for a mate".
It will be time to go to our veterinarian, and he will assess whether it is appropriate to inject some gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogue.
Explained very briefly, heat obeys the action of an axis between the brain (the famous pituitary gland and the hypothalamus) and the ovaries. This hormone cuts off communication between the points of the axis, and heat stops.
It lasts a short time, but it can give us a margin until it reaches the right age for castration. There are other more lasting measures, such as a subcutaneous implant of that hormone that is released for months, but you have to resort to sedation to put it in, and sometimes we only need a few more weeks to proceed with surgery.
What to do if heat appears before 15 months?
After castration, we can be sure that:
- There will be no estrogen toxicity on the bone marrow.
- You will not develop breast tumors.
- You will not get uterine infections.
However, Your adrenal glands will always be your weak spot, so it is always advised to check with an abdominal ultrasound and/or analyzes the state of these organs annually. With ultrasound you can also check your pancreas.
They will also warn us that we should watch for signs such as: apathy, changes in appetite, lack of hair (especially on the tail), swollen abdomen…
Some vets may advise continuing injections or implants of that hormone after neutering our ferret, this being an issue on which There is currently no unanimous agreement. It seems to be beneficial in preventing the hormones released by the pituitary gland from causing further damage to the adrenal glands.
Neuter a male ferret
In male ferrets, the signs of heat are more similar to those of cats, to compare with another better known animal:
- Marking throughout the territory (our house)
- Sometimes aggressiveness
- You can release your anal gland secretion more often
- Sometimes we perceive its more intense smell
- The coat may appear ocher and greasy
- We can see the testicles much larger than usual, although this is not always the case. This species has them located under the anus, like cats, although the penis appears in the middle of the abdomen.
However, as always, each ferret is a world. Any behavior that is out of the ordinary can tell us that the time has come. Let us remember that heat appears in ferrets (males and females) with the increase in daylight hours, so if it was born in June, most likely, is that it appears at the end of January of the following year. They tend to be a little early risers when it comes to starting their reproductive activity than females.
In male ferrets it is more effective to reduce the hours of light as much as possible, to delay sexual maturity until the desired age, that is, 15 months of life Having a cage where you can leave them early and wake them up after 16 hours of darkness can naturally delay the arrival of heat. The temperature also influences a lot, the cold can cause the oestrus to cease or be delayed.
What to do if sexuality appears before 15 months?
Our veterinarian may advise us to try to cut it by playing with the hours of light, and if it doesn't work, apply the same hormones as in the case of the female. In addition, it should be considered that we should never have neutered or unneutered females nearby. If he has access to them, or their scent, our attempts will fail.
Conclusions
Although neutering our ferrets does not free them from future problems with their adrenal glands, it does prevent illnessesof worst treatment or prognosis.
However, we must remember that in them, the so-called "pediatric sterilization" that is recommended in dogs or cats, is not recommended. As always, these tips on our site are intended to be additional information to what your veterinarian will provide when you are interested in neutering your ferret.
