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Post by susan4rest on Jun 21, 2008 9:23:28 GMT -5
I was told to keep my jills in the dark as much as possible to prolong them coming into first heat and getting them spayed. This seems almost cruel and unusual...so is it myth, fact or what. I love playing with them and if we are in the dark I can't see their adorible faces as well, plus even shaded rooms are depressing, might they be to them as well. Hopefully this is just folklore... Also one person told me to have them fixed around 5 months another 8 what is acceptable, many vets charge more if they are already in heat... :PHelp me keep em happy!
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Post by aleronferrets on Jun 21, 2008 10:00:54 GMT -5
I was told to keep my jills in the dark as much as possible to prolong them coming into first heat and getting them spayed. This seems almost cruel and unusual...so is it myth, fact or what. I love playing with them and if we are in the dark I can't see their adorible faces as well, plus even shaded rooms are depressing, might they be to them as well. Hopefully this is just folklore... Also one person told me to have them fixed around 5 months another 8 what is acceptable, many vets charge more if they are already in heat... :PHelp me keep em happy! Ferrets should not be keot in bright rooms to begin with - ideally they shouldn't be exposed to more than indirect natural light. Even at that, they should have a dark sleeping area so they can escape the light. Keeping jills in the dark in theory should put off their coming in season because that is triggered by light cycles. However, how old is your jill? Jills generally are not going to come in season until their first late winter/spring. If your's is a young kit, you don't have to worry about her coming in season right now. The ideal age to alter is as late as possible. If your girl is exposed to a lot of artificial light, you'll probably have to alter her sooner. If she is mostly only exposed to natural lighting, you can put it off a bit longer. It is not so good to have them done when they are in season, as the hormone changes can cause some problems, although I don't think it causes long term problems. Melatonin is another thing which IME can bring jills out of season or prevent them from coming in. BUT use at your own risk, as I have never known anyone but myself to use it for that purpose. |
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Post by susan4rest on Jun 21, 2008 10:39:16 GMT -5
They both were born at the end of April this year... ;D  |
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Post by mustelidmusk on Jun 21, 2008 11:59:51 GMT -5
Your babies probably won't come into season until January/February next year. As far as timing for spayig is concerned, some people feel it's best to spay them before their first heat, some feel it's best to spay them about 2 weks into their heat cycle. As fr as I'mconcerned, I think it's best to not spay them, but this is impractical in mot cases. (all my brats are now "its" - i.e., spayed/neutered. A far as vets charging more for "in heat" spays, the reason for this is that some people say that the jll will have more blood loss from an in-heat surgery. My vet doesn't charge more, and he doesn't really feel it's a risk (but he's an outstanding and well-recognized small animal surgeon and ferret expert- so I don't really know if this represents a risk or not.) There's also a perceived benefit to spaying while in season...the parts a bigger and easier to find. So there's much less risk that part of an ovary may be left behind. As far as hormone fluctuations go, it may be a bit annoying to your ferret, who will be VERY moody, but I've never heard of any real issues with the hormonal change. ( Lupron injections for adrenal will have a very similar effect.) Also, I SUSPECT that older jills that have been through everal heat cycles MAY see a more dramatic effect than first-heat jills that get spayed 2 weeks into their first heat experience. It's at least a good question to ask of more knowledgeable people than I Maybe Aleron can shed some light on ths??? Aleron knows a lot more than I do - I'm not a breeder, altough I have some minor knowledge because I have friends who breed. All the breeders I know use V-hobs (vasectomized hobs) t bring their jills out of season.) Never heard of the melatonin. Light cycles do affect when ferrets come into season. Some people beiev ferrets need snshine. I'm with Aleron on this...ferrets are most active at dusk and dawn - when their prey is most active. I try to keep my ferret room relatively dim with natural light (but not dark). I try to use inside lights as little as possible. The recommendation of a dark sleeping den is also excellent for both light exposure and stress reduction (although my brats (boys in particular) can commonly be foundlying around "exposing themselves"  I know, it's tacky, but my boys have absolutely NO MODESTY!!!! Since you have time before you have to make any decision, you can do some reasearch. We clearly don't know everything about how ferrets work, nand opinions do vary...but gathering info. and learning from others will allow you to best balance your acquired "knowledge" with your own logistical needs. -jennifer |
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Post by aleronferrets on Jun 22, 2008 11:50:46 GMT -5
Also, I SUSPECT that older jills that have been through everal heat cycles MAY see a more dramatic effect than first-heat jills that get spayed 2 weeks into their first heat experience. It's at least a good question to ask of more knowledgeable people than I Maybe Aleron can shed some light on ths??? Aleron knows a lot more than I do - I'm not a breeder, altough I have some minor knowledge because I have friends who breed. What I have seen in some males and females spayed while in season is odd hairloss. It has to do with the hormone levels and it comes back pretty quickly but it makes me think that perhaps it isn't the best idea. For dogs, it is often suggested it is ideal spay females half way between seasons due to hormone levels. I agree that ideally it would be best not to have to have them altered at all but it is impractical for most pet owners and there are risks of leaving jills intact. I don't know that anyone else has used melatonin for bringing jills out of season to be honest. I had the idea that it could work and after much research, I found that it is used to bring mink into winter coat early (which would be ending their breeding season). It is also being reserach for human birth control. Like I said though, it isn't so much something I'd suggest other people use. |
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