From:
<natashamohr@cox.net>
Date: 2004-03-25 20:00:50 UTC
Subject: Re: Re: [ferrethealth] infected anal sacks, antibiotics or surgery?
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-Id: <20040325200049.CCSO13694.lakemtao02.cox.net@smtp.east.cox.net>
> I can't say that recovery from surgery on these two ferrets was particularly
> difficult or painful - they both bounced back quickly with no complications.
Well, I have a different perspective to add. I too have had *several* fuzzbeans with this problem. IMHO, descenting is not necessary and if done (as is so routine) when they are so small, it is difficult to actually get the whole gland.
Two of our ferrets (who did come from the same litter) who were descented and spayed very early both had gland remnants that gave them ongoing problems. In one case, her glands had to be expressed periodically. In the other case, there was no route for expression, since it had been surgically removed, and she had to have surgery. Even after surgery, she continued to have problems. Luckily for us, surgery sort of accidentally produced a route for expression, and she was able to have the one side that continued to bother her expressed.
We currently have a 5 1/2 year old boy who recently developed a cyst that was determined through pathology to involve gland remnant. Prior to this he never had any kind of problem. However, the cyst returned after surgery, alone with cellulitis, and he had to have a second surgery. Now, the cellulitis is back again. We are treating as we did before with antibiodics. I'm not sure what else to do at this point!
So from my perspective, surgery can correct the problem but is not always successful.
-Natasha