11/03/2026
If your ferrets v***a looks like this, it means she is in season or on heat. When an intact female ferret (jill) comes in season/on heat in approximately Aug/Sept in Spring time (Australia) their v***a will get larger and larger.
Female ferrets will not come out of heat by themselves. They must be desexed BEFORE they come in season or immediately after you notice they have come in season.
If you leave a female ferret in season, she will die of aplastic anemia, which is caused by hyperestrogenism because she has been in season for too long. This condition can occur in less than a month.
This rescue ferret had been in season for many months (6+ months) and her v***a is extremely large. My Vet performed an emergency spaying with the hopes we may be able to save her life. Unfortunately, she went downhill after spaying because she was already suffering from aplastic anemia. The kind thing to do was give her, her golden wings.
This is a friendly reminder to always spay your female ferrets. The best time to do this is after 6 months of age and before their first heat, which will occur at approximately 9 months old. Please ensure you locate yourself a ferret knowledgeable Vet to treat and care for your ferret, they are an exotic pet and with the incorrect information, it can be deadly to them.
If you are located in South Australia, I highly recommend my Vets - Northern Veterinary Group, Dr Gary & Dr Kristy are incredibly knowledgeable and would love to treat and care for your ferrets with the correct knowledge.
***Edited to add***
If you have a spayed jill (sprite) and her v***a swells up like this, it is likely that she has adrenal disease - the most common causes for adrenal disease is early spaying and or artificial temperatures and lighting; housing ferrets indoors. She will need to see a ferret knowledgeable Vet to get a Deslorelin/Suprelorin implant to mask the symptoms. These implants will not cure adrenal disease but they can assist with the symptoms to prolong a better quality of life.
