Message Number: FHL7219 | New FHL Archives Search
From: ferrethealer@aol.com
Date: 2008-12-25 18:38:29 UTC
Subject: Impacted Anal Glands Re: [ferrethealth] Digest Number 1380
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com



In a message dated 12/25/08 4:01:34 AM Eastern Standard Time,
ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com writes:

The research I read states that they should be manually expressed
once a year, however, my experience has been every 4-5 months. I
have asked my vet to show me how to do it, but he states it is a two-
person job, one to hold or scruff the ferret, the other to express
the glands. Maybe someone on the forum, who has mastered doing this
on their own will respond.


From my own experience, it is uncommon for a ferret to need to have their
glands expressed, and certainly not as a regular thing - unless the ferret in
question has a specific problem with emptying the glands themselves. It is very
possible for a ferret to have this occur once and then never again, however,
once a ferret has had an issue with their glands, they should be checked
regularly.

Only one of our ferrets has ever had repeated issues with his glands - what I
found with him and recommend to owners of any ferret having issues is to do a
warm bath/soak of the back end, which relaxes the muscles, will sometimes
soften the secretion, and allows for gentle expression of the gland material
underwater. I did that routinely by myself many, many times during his life, and
at no time was he super-stressed by it. Uncomfortable on occasion, but never
offered to bite. And being underwater really helps with the odor.

Dr. Ruth

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