From:
ferrethealer@aol.com
Date: 2007-10-24 15:13:22 UTC
Subject: Options for Ferrets in heat Re: [ferrethealth] Digest Number 943
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
In a message dated 10/24/07 5:37:59 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com writes:
What does one use for a shot to bring a Jill out of heat? Can any vet
give this? Like a ferret vet who hasn't worked with intact animals, or
even a regular vet? I'd prefer not to spay right away because haven't
found a ferret vet to give me a deal on spays and neuters yet. And I
wanted to wait, if possible, until the boys had finished growing a bit
more, and then do them all at once. (Although this little gal may not
let me wait.)
**There are two drug options that I have used to bring jills out of heat.
The first is HcG, or human choriogonadotropin. This is not my preferred drug,
as it has been known to cause reactions, as well as ovarian cysts (not so much
a problem in her, since you plan to spay her anyway, but definitely a problem
in breeding animals). The other is GnRH, or gonadotropin releasing hormone,
which is my preferred drug. Both are used at about ten days after the jill is
fully in heat. Some of my colleagues have used Lupron, but I have not, can't
comment on it's efficacy, but it is certainly a more expensive option.
You can also try to contact a nearby breeder to see if they have a
vasectomized male to put her with, if she is old enough for that. Some of these jills
are pretty darn young when they go into heat, and being with a male is not
really a good idea for them, IMO.
You can also simply spay her at this point.**
Also, I've seen a suggestion floating around that low-cost spay/neuter
clinics may be tapped for the DMK operations. These are almost never
done by ferret vets. Does this mean that I should have any vet do such
work? That sounds scary to me. But if it doesn't have to be a ferret
vet that opens up more possibilities.
**Some of the ferret vets are giving discounts, keep looking. Some of the
ferret vets are agreeing to honor HS vouchers, check about that as well. If you
got the ferrets from a shelter that is eligible for the AFA spay/neuter fund
that has been set up for these ferrets, check into that as well.
A ferret spay is fairly similar to a cat spay, and any vet that can do a cat
spay ought to technically be able to do a ferret spay. But vets that are
unfamiliar with ferrets and anesthesia/pain control may have some problems with
that, such as fasting them for too long, giving injectable anesthetics, etc.**
Dr. Ruth
*****************************************
Save lives - spay or neuter your pet.
************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:ferrethealth-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:ferrethealth-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
ferrethealth-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/