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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2016 4:29:44 GMT -5
So, I am hugely perplexed right now. One of Mischief's kits appears to be in season at 14 weeks old. There are no signs to suggest she has a UTI/vaginitis/vulval dermatitis and is absolutely her normal self ... I have been trying to get a urine sample but it's almost impossible just to double check. Has anyone else even ever heard of this? I'm absolutely dumbfounded by it. She's way too young and small to meet my vas hob so I will monitor and it may be a jab for her when other causes are ruled out. I know these small ferrets are quick developers (open their eyes from 3 weeks old, up and about quicker than bigger ferrets), but coming into season at this age is a bit beyond!
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Post by abbeytheferret6 on Jul 31, 2016 6:28:25 GMT -5
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2016 7:09:07 GMT -5
I thought I had read 16 weeks somewhere in the past but remember thinking their information is wrong. Clearly it is though ... as 14 weeks appears to be the age
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Post by Heather on Jul 31, 2016 11:52:23 GMT -5
OH, wow....that's just a bit disturbing. I felt guilty enough putting my wee jills with the v-hob and they were 9 months old. The earliest I've ever heard was 4 months. The breeder was really upset at her precocious little jill. Unfortunately, other than spaying there was no more mention about the incident. ciao
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Post by crazylady on Jul 31, 2016 12:54:59 GMT -5
Hi vicki anne I have never known them come in that young personally I would do the jill jab ( I have known them swell with water infections at that age but not full season ) as putting her with a hob at her young age may do more harm than good good luck take care bye for now Bev
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Post by Deleted on Jul 31, 2016 12:57:19 GMT -5
OH, wow....that's just a bit disturbing. I felt guilty enough putting my wee jills with the v-hob and they were 9 months old. The earliest I've ever heard was 4 months. The breeder was really upset at her precocious little jill. Unfortunately, other than spaying there was no more mention about the incident. ciao Very disturbing indeed. She will have to have a delvosterone injection, but I don't like it. Other options are spaying, v-hob or implant and don't like any of those at 14 weeks either. I knew Lily was going to be trouble!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2016 14:52:33 GMT -5
Wow! That is crazy!!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2016 16:15:38 GMT -5
Lily had her jab this evening. She doesn't need oestrogen in her young system for too long! Her Mum also had to have a jab - it appears that my vas hob, Barley, is taking a hiatus and feels he has done enough work this year!
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Post by crazylady on Aug 2, 2016 13:27:39 GMT -5
LoL a few of my hobs dont know what to make of the weather one week its boiling hot the following week its freezing so one moment there jewels are down the following week there on there way up lol the jab should sort her out I would restrict her lighting too that will also fool her body into thinking yep breeding season is defiantly over lol take care bye for now Bev
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Post by maja01 on Aug 9, 2016 8:58:09 GMT -5
We have seen it as eary as 3 months ... i would definetly not breed such jill and would think twice before breeding her mum again.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2016 12:34:53 GMT -5
We have seen it as eary as 3 months ... i would definetly not breed such jill and would think twice before breeding her mum again. Mischief has had all the litters she will have in her life so she won't be bred again. This is the first kit of hers that has come into season so early. Every other kit has followed the more normal pattern of coming into season the spring following their birth. Lily more than likely will never be bred, but that is a decision to finalise in the future. It all depends what happens from here on. I have had a few ferrets who have had seasonality confusion (coming into season out of season when housed outdoors) and these ferrets have not been bred from. I aiming for healthy ferrets, so it's not worth breeding any with a question mark over their health, reproductive or otherwise.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2016 16:28:18 GMT -5
Lily's brother, Mouse, is now coming into rut at 16 weeks and is trying to drag everyone off to his man cave Has anyone come across this before? I'm keeping two kits and the others have gone to pet only homes where I will definitely get regular updates, but I'm a little concerned. This is not a health issue at the moment as such, but it is not something I want in the line and it is not normal or natural. This was something I absolutely did not expect, but then, that's what this breeding was for - to flag up problems in the line.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2016 17:03:57 GMT -5
www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/precocious-puberty/basics/causes/con-20029745Interesting read on this in humans ... am now wondering if I can gather the money together for an MRI on Lily in the next year or so ... and trying to decide if this is warranted/necessary/ethical .... What would others do? I sort of feel that an individual problem ... such as a tumour would be highly unlikely to occur in several kits. Blue has also got testicular development at this moment and has been riding round on the bigger ferrets a little so I suspect he is also coming into rut ... but I just want to know if this is the result of something life-limiting such as a tumour.
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Post by Blue on Aug 15, 2016 17:13:41 GMT -5
What would you look for with an MRI? It seems unlikely to be tumors since it seems to be genetic and affects both boys and girls. Maybe it could be the "congenital adrenal hyperplasia" one?
I'd say examining her is ethical as long as it doesn't cause harm or undue stress to the ferret. Putting a young healthy ferret to sleep briefly for an MRI seems OK to me unless that gives her panic attacks or something.
Thanks for keeping us updated, this is really fascinating!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2016 17:20:42 GMT -5
Well, congenital adrenal hyperplasia is my main concern ... technically this ought to show up on an MRI ... the only problem I would have is finding a vet that has a good reference range for checking this. If there was no reference range, I may have to have others of my ferrets undergo MRIs to attain a reference range ... and that would be assuming the others were completely 'normal' and did not have congenital adrenal hyperplasia. I think I need to have a chat with some exotics vets and see what they think. I also found this www.livescience.com/1824-truth-early-puberty.htmlAnd am wondering if the diet they have been fed might be a factor. They were fed grinds rather than whole prey at a young age ... and their Mum became very fat during lactation ... I thought I had the balance okay, but maybe I was feeding too much high fat meat in there ... The later litters were fed more whole prey as the jills were already switched to whole prey. Mischief is only just getting to grips with whole prey really as she was kibble fed when I brought her home so it's been a long process.
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