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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2012 9:30:39 GMT -5
Sherry, please move this to proper section if you need to.
I have been doing more research before getting my hob. At this point, we are probably doing the DES after his first rut, (that's if we do anything). The web has given the option of a vasectomy but I know nothing about it. does a vasectomy work to help prevent adrainal? Does it reduce the dribble during rut? Does it reduce the "have to find a mate" mentality? Can someone please explain to me what exactly it does for ferrets or am I better off with the DES. Just looking at all of my options and the Internet has to many mixed messages about ferrets in general.
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Post by Sherry on Nov 24, 2012 10:10:36 GMT -5
Vastectomizing is only done if you are breeding and have a female you need brought out of heat, but not impregnated. Then you have a v-hob to put her with. For the money spent to vasectomize, may as well just leave him be because there will be no difference in rut. He will still be intact, just "firing blanks" as it were. I'd go with either the des if you can, or neuter.
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Post by Heather on Nov 24, 2012 12:18:42 GMT -5
A v-hob has all the issues of a regular hob except he's a sports model. Sherry's right. He smells, he slimes if he's into that. I do find them not as......over the top as a regular hob but...that may just be what his personality is to begin with. It is also quite a costly surgery. He will be no more prone to adrenal than an intact hob, but unless you've got a jill to bring out of season....I'd stick with the intact hob myself. I think your choice would be between the DES and the intact with the intent to alter...depending on your idea of risk taking. ciao
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2012 14:34:27 GMT -5
Ok thank you. DES or nothing it is then. I really don't want to neurter.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2012 14:36:16 GMT -5
As others have stated, vasectomy is not an option for you, pointless and expensive, so I won't say anything else about that. As for neutering or DES, A lot of people disagree on this, but I think whichever you pick, it's nice if you can do it after 18 months of age. I've read things here and there that suggest that the hob still matures and develops all the way up to 18 months of age or maybe even 2 years. But I think if you can at least wait until after his first rut you will have gone a long way towards improving his long-term health, plus don't you just love that hob look? You won't get that look if you don't wait for him to finish growing. Even the des implant will prevent him from looking like a real hob if you give it too early (I would say before 6 to 8 months of age is too early) But that's just my opinion! I have a separate room for my ferrets that I can close off pretty well to contain the smell, and I have just kept my hob intact and not done anything to him so far. He's about 19 months old now. He really reeks when he's in rut so if you want to keep your hob intact long-term, you will want to start planning how you will keep the smell from becoming part of everything in the house ;D Oh P.S. - Assuming you are not going to breed him, I personally prefer the idea of giving them des after the first rut, rather than surgical neutering. Just my preference based on the information I've been able to read. It just seems gentler and more forgiving, after all, if new research becomes available to indicate there is a better option, you can always have the des removed or just wait for it to wear off. Plus, there is a study where they found that a hob on des actually smells nicer than a surgically neutered hob. And we know that surgical neutering usually does end up causing adrenal eventually. I have heard that there have been intact hobs who got adrenal, but that seems pretty rare, whereas neutered ferrets getting adrenal is very very common. Anyway that's my opinion, but unfortunately, right now it seems to be a choice without a clear "right" answer, because we just don't know all of the facts about des's long-term safety, and we don't even know for sure what all the causes of adrenal are and how exactly it works. You're just going to have to make a decision where both choices have risk involved
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2012 14:39:50 GMT -5
I don't plan on doing anything until after his second rut is done.
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Post by joan on Nov 24, 2012 18:32:01 GMT -5
Just so you know...almost all of my hob kit buyers intended to keep them intact through their first rut before neutering. Only two have lasted more than a month after they came in rut, as the odor and the sliming were just too much for them to live with. Mikey is the only other pet owner I know who managed to make it through the entire rut...congratulations, Mikey! ;D
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2012 19:09:38 GMT -5
I lasted 6 weeks once. We're in it for the long haul with Pimm... Do I get a cookie when we make it through? ;D
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Post by Heather on Nov 24, 2012 19:12:41 GMT -5
You get to hug a non-stinky hob I was so happy when my guys finally went out. To pick up a boy, hug them and not worry about carrying their special scent around the rest of the day ciao
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Post by joan on Nov 24, 2012 19:19:19 GMT -5
Rachel, I have high hopes that you'll make it through an entire rut with Pimm as you've already experienced the odor and the sliming. I'll be very happy to give you a cookie if you make it all the way through, but you'll have to come here to collect it...and of course you have to bring Pimm, Cocchi, and Raven with you. ;D
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2012 20:44:17 GMT -5
We should come up with some kind of award for anyone who can handle an entire rut with a hob in their house ;D Hobs who live outside don't count
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Post by Heather on Nov 24, 2012 22:35:19 GMT -5
That's not fair Mikey, you already know you can do this. I got my boys half way through so that doesn't count. This year will be my first whole season with my brats....but I have 3 ciao
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Post by Deleted on Nov 24, 2012 23:33:42 GMT -5
That's not fair Mikey, you already know you can do this. I got my boys half way through so that doesn't count. This year will be my first whole season with my brats....but I have 3 [img src="http://i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/ i1105.photobucket.com/albums/h352/JW_2012/Emoticons/0_0.gif"].gif [/IMG] ciao[/quote] If you can handle it maybe you can have 3 awards then ;D
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Post by joan on Nov 25, 2012 0:32:56 GMT -5
I lived with hobs in rut in the house for 14 years now, which is why I try to keep just 2 intact hobs at a time. I've had 3 a few times over the years...and it was NOT a fun time. Heather, you may need to schedule time for a nervous breakdown when it's all over with. ;D
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Post by Heather on Nov 25, 2012 1:14:50 GMT -5
That's just it....I don't have time for one ;D ;D ciao
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