How to neuter ferrets
When starting an animal in the house, many consider it a living toy. Natural laws of nature require animals to reproduce, and these needs do not always coincide with the usual human life. How to neuter ferrets? Let's understand the intricacies of a complex procedure.
Ferret castration
Reasons for the operation
After acquiring a mobile pet, people do not think about its biological characteristics. Opponents of castration are those who have not encountered the problem of rutting in animals. A number of unpleasant changes occur during puberty.
Girls and boys mature by 5-8 months. Typical manifestations of this are:
- aggression;
- anxiety;
- depressed state;
- "Wildness";
- baldness of the tail, trunk;
- odorous marks in the home (urine, feces).
The animal loses interest in games. In the body, the level of sex hormones rises, the long-term concentration of which negatively affects the health of the animal. Unlike dogs, ferret rut will not go away on its own. Prolonged hemorrhage during estrus in a female often results in anemia and death.
Sometimes the owners try to deceive the nature, covering the "young lady" with a castrated male or not observing the mating time. In this case, a false pregnancy can be expected. A dangerous condition is stressful for the body, so veterinarians do not advise resorting to such a solution. Ferrets sterilization will be the most humane option for resolving the problem.
Surgical intervention
The procedure takes place under general anesthesia for 30 minutes: the girl's abdominal cavity is cut with a scalpel in a certain place that bleeds little. The uterus is removed from the abdomen, the ovaries are removed, and then stitches are applied.
Ferret castration is less troublesome. Anesthesia is needed in order to immobilize the nimble animal, and the operation itself takes at least 15 minutes. The boy's scrotum is carefully cut, the testes are taken out and sutures are applied.
For animals of both sexes, experts recommend to additionally remove the paraanal glands, which are the source of the unpleasant odor. With the help of this secret, they mark the territory, so it is better to worry about your comfort in advance.
If a person does not want to permanently deprive a pet of reproductive abilities, they practice ligation of the genital cords. The body continues to produce hormones, but the animals cannot conceive babies. This procedure is rarely used in relation to small pets.
Injections
Ferret chemical sterilization is designed for owners who are aggressive about surgery. During the action of the drug, the manifestations of rutting disappear, and the animals continue their usual life. After the hormones are removed from the body, all reproductive functions are restored.
For the artificial termination of estrus, ovulation-inducing agents are used. The female calms down, a false pregnancy occurs.Often, "mommy" chooses a "baby" from people, surrounding them with love and care. After 45 days, the idyll ends and a new injection is required.
During chemical sterilization, the drug "Covinan" is often administered to females and males. He quickly stops negative behavioral changes. Due to the large list of contraindications, the substance is used only on absolutely healthy animals before the start of the mating season.
All of the above funds have a limited duration. If a person wants to forget about the rut for a year or a year and a half, then it is recommended to pay attention to special implants. A small "container" with the preparation is injected under the skin: it does not interfere with the animal, and in a few days it will stop all manifestations of sexual activity.
When choosing this method, it must be borne in mind that any chemical substance negatively affects the health of ferrets. Frequent false pregnancies and abrupt interruption of estrus can be the cause of neoplasms in the reproductive organs and mammary glands. Individual components cause allergies and other side effects.
Preparing for surgery
In order for the surgical intervention to pass without problems, it is recommended to carefully consider the preparations. All actions are not a doctor's whim, but a number of important measures aimed at preventing complications. Let's analyze the main ones.
- Do not feed for 8 hours. A certain amount of anesthesia is required for the weight of the animal to be operated on. If the stomach is full, the drug does not work well and can provoke vomiting.
- Proglist. 10 days before the procedure, you must use special anthelmintic drugs. The presence of parasites in the digestive system is a huge stress for the body, so complications are possible.
- Wash, get rid of fleas. During a certain period, the patient cannot be wetted, treated with chemicals. To avoid problems, it is better to carry out all hygiene procedures in advance.
The above points are the basic requirements that the owner of the animal must comply with. Before surgery, you must bring your pet for an examination. Ferrets are the only animals that can be castrated during heat. Your veterinarian will assess your physical condition and give more complete advice.
Day after surgery
People often worry about the consequences of the procedure, so they do not dare to take active steps. In almost all cases, animals normally tolerate surgery and anesthesia. The patient regains consciousness after 2 hours, therefore it is recommended to stay close until the appearance of glimpses of consciousness.
If you have a long trip in public transport, then it is better to stay at the clinic for this time. The pet can get seasick, so there is a danger of dizziness and vomiting. Transportation by taxi or private car will allow you to quickly get home.
After arriving from the clinic, the ferret must be locked in a cage. Shavings or sawdust are removed from the room, and filler is removed from the toilet. Any particle that gets into the wound will cause inflammation. Fertka will recover quickly, but the effects of anesthesia will appear within 2 days.
After spaying a female ferret, pay attention to the seam. It is forbidden to lick the postoperative scar, so you need to put on a bandage. Veterinary pharmacies sell special devices that hold the abdominal cavity. If it is not possible to buy, then you can use a clean knitted sock.
You don't need to do anything during this period without a doctor's prescription. It is only necessary to monitor the condition of the pet. After a couple of hours, the fluffy needs to be drunk, and after 180 minutes you can try to feed the pet. Do not worry about vomiting: this is how the body gets rid of anesthesia on its own.
Rehabilitation
After the ferret is castrated, you must strictly adhere to all the recommendations given by the veterinarian. It is forbidden to independently change or prescribe any medications.Any actions can be carried out only with the permission of the attending specialist.
Most often, the seams are treated with Chlorhexidine, Miramistin. Medicines destroy bacteria in the cut, preventing inflammation. Zelenka, iodine can provoke burns, and folk remedies after surgery are very dangerous.
In the first week, you need to carefully monitor the behavior of the pet. An increase or decrease in temperature, a change in the color of the mucous membranes are the first signals that something is wrong in the body. It is better to contact the surgeon by phone or take the animal to the clinic immediately.
It is necessary to limit the excessive mobility of the ferrets after the operation, to keep them in the cage for the first time.
What if the ferret licks the stitches? If a nimble pet tries to reach the wound through a bandage, it is better to put on a special collar on it. It can be purchased at a veterinary pharmacy or made yourself from a half-liter plastic bottle.
Before removing the stitches, hygiene procedures and outdoor walks are prohibited. Until the fur grows back, drafts must be avoided, and any temperature fluctuations must not be allowed: overheating or cooling. After the operation, the permeability of the stomach may deteriorate, so a single intake of 2 g of petroleum jelly will help protect against constipation.
Life after surgery
Many people hesitate to spay a ferret, fearing that the animal may become lazy and get fat. Such prejudices about castration came from cat-lovers and have nothing to do with ferrets. Pets remain the same slender and mobile.
Removing the sex glands has a positive effect on the character of pets. If before the operation the animals were aggressive during estrus or could go to the toilet in the wrong places, now this problem will disappear. After some time, the concentration of hormones in the body will decrease and the animal will calm down.
Ferrets are best operated on before the first rut, while boys are surgically treated after maturation. Early removal of the glands leads to the fact that the pet grows smaller than the rest of the species. A person gets an adequate and kind being without periodic hormonal surges.
Ferret neutering is an important procedure that will make it easier for the pet and the owner to coexist. Do not torture yourself and the animal. The above recommendations will help you choose the sterilization technique without any problems, and also correctly carry out preparatory and rehabilitation measures before and after the operation.