From:
Ferrethealer@aol.com
Date: 2004-09-01 01:04:49 UTC
Subject: Young Age at Alter Comments Re: [ferrethealth] Digest 31
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <8c.13c55f3d.2e667a31@aol.com>
In a message dated 08/31/04 2:34:39 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
ferrethealth-digest-help@smartgroups.com writes:
Is the `time is money` greed of certain breeders, hence the young
age/procedure, hold true??
I suspect that you are asking if the reason for the young age of altering
(neutering/spaying) ferrets is a function of greed on the breeders (usually the
large pet-store supply farms). Actually, not in my opinion. The thing is that
female ferrets that are not spayed will often die when they go into heat for
the first time at nine months or so - and IMO, that is an even larger health
threat, given the number of ferrets I see for the first time at two or three
years old who have never been to a vet since they were purchased at the pet
store, than adrenal disease is.
I would rather see the three and four year olds with adrenal disease than the
ten month old jills who are dying of anemia. Is that the reason the farms do
the procedures before they sell the kits? I don't know - I don't have access
to their policy statements. But it's not all bad.
Of course the ideal is for all ferret owners to understand what needs to be
done to keep their ferrets healthy. Sadly, that is all too often not the case.
Dr. Ruth
********************************************
Puppies kiss better than most people.