Neutering
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Neutering simply means rendering an animal - male or female - unable to reproduce. Until recently the only option was the surgical removal of the reproductive organs but there is now an alternative using an implant. Both procedures must be performed by a qualified veterinary surgeon.
The terms spaying and castrating refer specifically to female and male animals respectively. If an animal, male or female, is described as “INTACT” it means that surgical neutering has not taken place.
The obvious reason to neuter a ferret is to prevent unwanted or accidental pregnancies. However, there are other considerations because in the case of both hobs and jills there is an impact on important issues such as breeding, accommodation and health.
Implants
Deslorelin Acetate can be implanted into both hobs and jills as it prevents the production of the sex hormones – testosterone and oestrogen. The procedure does not require a general anaesthetic and is performed very quickly. The implant is effective for about eighteen months after which a further implant will be required.
Advantages:
- Simple, quick procedure with none of the risks associated with general anaesthesia.
- Reduced risk of adrenal disease in later life.
- Avoids the risk of oestrogen-induced anaemia in jills.
- No need to use a vasectomised hob to bring the jill out of season, with the attendant dangers of injury and infection.
Disadvantages:
- Relatively expensive as the implant must be renewed every eighteen months.
- Risks associated with forgetting to renew the implant at the appropriate time.
Spaying
This term specifically relates to the surgical neutering of jills rendering them incapable of reproducing. Although they are old enough to be spayed in the spring following their birth, before they come into season for the first time, research strongly suggests that spaying a jill in the first two years of her life greatly increases the risk of adrenal disease. It may be beneficial to bring your jill out of season by means of the jill jab or mating with a vasectomised hob before spaying her at about three years of age.
Advantages:
- 100% certainty of not reproducing
- No need for repeated “jill-jabs” or implants. No danger of oestrogen-induced anaemia in jills
- No need to use a vasectomised hob to bring the jill out of season, with the attendant dangers of injury and infection.
Disadvantages:
- No possibility of breeding in the future
- Increased risk of adrenal disease.
Castrating
This applies to hobs meaning that both testicles, responsible for producing sperm and testosterone, the male hormone, have been surgically removed, thus rendering the ferret incapable of mating.
Advantages:
- Gentler and calmer animals
- Usually hobbles can live happily both with other hobbles and with jills
- Smell largely disappears
Disadvantages:
- Unable to breed
- Some ferrets may lose a little weight
- The ferret’s coat may lighten in colour
Vasectomising
This is a surgical procedure performed on hobs during which the tubes that carry sperm from the testicles to the seminal vesicles are cut, tied or otherwise interrupted. Semen no longer contains sperm so although the ferret is willing and able to mate, and continues to display all the
usual male characteristics, conception cannot occur.
Advantages:
- Provides contraception for one or more jills
- Cheaper to vasectomise one hob than to spay a number of jills
Disadvantages:
- Success rate is less than 100%
- Mating is often harsh and violent
- Jills may be traumatised and suffer injury particularly if they do not usually live with the hobble
- Stronger smell
- Often unable to live peacefully with other ferrets
FACT - Many unwanted litters of kits are born each year due to indiscriminate breeding