In this article on our site we want to discuss whether removing the glands from a ferret is good or bad It is known that the The reason for removing these glands from ferrets is the belief that they are the ones that produce the bad smell that bothers us humans so much.
If you have a ferret you will have come to notice its characteristic musky-type odour. The intensity of the ferret's odor is something completely individual and therefore some can smell much more than others, but many times that bothers us humans so much that we look for a way to make the animal smell less. We bathe him more than necessary, we put perfumes on him, we even extract his anal glands.
But if we stop to think about what these glands are, where the ferret's bad smell really comes from and other questions on the subject, we will see that is not recommended the extraction of the anal glands in our companions.
What are the anal glands of ferrets?
Ferrets, like many other animals, for example dogs, have perianal glands that, as their name suggests, are located on the sides of the animal's anus. These glands secrete a somewhat liquid substance, although sometimes it thickens enough to cause encystment of the glands, which is used for various things such as lubricating the stool so that when it comes out they do not cause damage or blockages and serve to give a unique identity to each individual..
Therefore not only serves to ensure the animal's good he alth but also helps them to communicate and identify themselves. In addition, this fluid that is produced in the perianal glands is the fluid expelled by ferrets when they feel very scared or excited, like skunks. So, it does smell bad, but this secretion is not the cause of the normal smell of ferrets, which is what really bothers us on a regular basis.
Why are the anal glands removed from ferrets?
As we mentioned before these glands are removed with the idea that this will eliminate the bad smell that ferrets produce. The truth is that this is a big mistake since it is not these glands that produce this characteristic odor in ferrets and, in reality, what can cause removing them are problems in the lubrication of the stool and therefore blockages and finally anal prolapses which must be operated quickly.
It will also cause our ferret to lose his individual scent and therefore this will cause some communication problems with others of his species.
The glands responsible for the strong smell of our curious little friend are his subcutaneous glands that are distributed in the skin of his face. The Ferret hormones stimulate secretion in these skin glands. For this reason, one of the effective ways to reduce the smell of our pet is sterilization, which also serves to prevent many other he alth problems.
So how do we reduce bad odour?
Firstly, before adopting a ferret, we must be aware of the issue of the smell, if we believe that we are not going to be able to bear it, a ferret may not be the most suitable pet for us. In case it is not an impediment and we decide to expand the family with a curious and furry companion, we must know that the total solution to this odor problem does not exist, but if we can reduce it a lot with sterilization together with proper hygiene of the animal and its environment.
We must bathe the ferret since even if they groom themselves it is not enough, we must always keep their cage as clean as possible, making sure that in the corner they choose to defecate and urinate, not too many feces and urine accumulate which will not only give off an unpleasant odor but will also be a source of infections.
We should limit baths to once a month at most because if we do it more often we will end up causing skin problems for our ferret. You can learn more about tips for the bad smell of the ferret.
So should we remove the anal glands from our ferret or not?
From our site we want to encourage knowledge on this topic since it is widely spread erroneously and we believe that with the above, which is based on veterinary information, it is very clear thatIt is not he althy for the ferret to have its anal glands removed and therefore not recommended.
As we compared at the beginning of this article, these glands are exactly the same in dogs. In fact, dogs use this fluid from these glands in the same way, that is, to lubricate themselves, communicate and defend themselves if they need it. Although our dog smells bad, we do not think about removing these glands since we clearly know that the origin of the odor problem is not there.
On the other hand we have always acted like this with ferrets and this is a big mistake that must be corrected. We hope that this information has helped you useful result and we hope you will comment on any experience or doubt you may have on the subject in this article.
