You & Your Pet by Dr. Wise

Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association 11 South Angell Street #347 · Providence, RI 02906 (877) 521-0103 (866) 277-0238 Toll-Free ·Fax

I just bought a young ferret from a local breeder, and my mother said that I will need to get it "descented" to control its odor.  It that necessary?

In my first few years out of veterinary school, we "descented" 10 - 12 ferrets.  In the last ten years, with a considerably larger number of ferret patients, we have not had to do any.  We are talking about surgically removing the two anal sacs (anal glands) located under the skin on either side of the anal opening.  The initial view was that ferrets were like skunks and had the ability to express or spray their anal sac secretions at will.  As ferrets became more popular as pets, old myths were found to be untrue.  Ferrets have anal sacs that are very similar to dogs and cats, not skunks.  We do not routinely remove the sacs from other domestic pets unless there is some underlying problem.  You may find the occasional ferret (about 1-2% of the ferret population) who may inadvertently express anal sac material.  In that case, you should contact your veterinarian about removing them.

You will find that nearly all the ferrets purchased through pet stores already had their anal sacs removed when they were spayed or neutered at a young age.  This is done solely as a sales technique to make them more marketable to the public.  Most veterinarians agree that you may decide to remove the glands if and when they develop problems in an adult animal but do not remove them as a preventative measure.

Your mother's concern about the odor associated with the ferret is quite valid but it can be easily handled with appropriate hygiene.  Ferrets' musky odor does not come from their anal glands, but from the oils associated with their skin and haircoat.  The only way to control this oil or sebum buildup is to bathe your pet routinely with medicated shampoos.  You can buy them over-the-counter or consult your veterinarian.  Any antiseborrhea shampoo that is safe for cats is okay for ferrets.   Weekly shampooing usually is required, but it may be done more frequently.

This information, prepared as a public service by the Rhode Island Veterinary Medical Association, answers problems Rhode Island veterinarians currently are seeing in their practices, as well as new developments in animal care.