QUESTION:
My supposedly descented ferret has foul smelling scent coming from his anus. The vet has expressed it twice and once it was bloody and pus filled along with an overwhelming odor! Anyway, should he operate to see what the problem is?

ANSWER:
That would be difficult to say! Does your vet still feel a gland in there? It could be an abscess, although it could also be a botched gland removal. How old is your ferret? If your vet has experience with descenting he should be able to tell what the problem is, if he doesn't you may want to consult with another ferret knowledgeable vet for another diagnosis! Over my 23 years of having ferrets I have seen some terrible botched up jobs on descenting, some ferrets have suffered for the rest of their life. There is a sphincter muscle in there, that if accidentally cut, the ferret will lose control of his bowels and will poop all over the place and often times have a prolapsed rectum that will continue to bleed. A vet with experience, is paramount in my opinion.