How to tell if female is fixed

Question
I rescued a ferret about a week ago who was found wondering in someones back yard in town.  She does not have any tattoos on her ear and I was wondering if there is any way to tell if she has already been fixed without taking her to a vet?  I am assuming she has been because she appears full grown and is not exibiting any signs of being in heat.

Answer
Unless you can see a scar from her spaying, with no tattoo in her ear, she very well MAY be unspayed.

The only way you will be able to tell is if she goes into heat. You will know that because her teeny tiny little vulva will swell up and become pretty obvious.  

However, swollen vulva can also be a symptom of an incomplete spay AND also a symptom of adrenal disease.....so my best suggestion is to watch and IF you see any swelling in her vulva, get her to a vet. Females in heat who are not brought out of heat (either mated or with a 'jill jab' injection, or a neutered male), will die of anemia, so it's not something to take lightly.

I would encourage you to take the ferret to a vet. What if her owners loved her enough to put in a microchip??  I would think you would at least want her to be checked for that, in addition to finding out her age, having the vet do a good check-up before you bring her into your home around other pets (?). She could have coccidia, ear mites, fleas......a whole bunch of things that would just be better with a quick vet exam.

Someone may be grieving her loss terribly.  I highly recommend that you put up flyers in the area where she was found. Make whoever calls describe her to you, so you are sure you have the right owners.  I'm sure if the tables were turned, you would be SO grateful that someone cared enough to take the time to try to get your ferret back to you.

If you do end up keeping the ferret, PLEASE read up on ferrrets. Having ferrets is very different than having dogs and cats - they require a lot of 'specialized' care, are very temperature sensitive (NEVER over 80 degrees), need a quality high protein special ferret kibble/meat diet, and they have several diseases that are common that you should be aware of.  You can read a lot at http://www.ferretcentral.org or purchase the book "FERRETS FOR DUMMIES" by Kim Schilling. Ferrets are INDOORS animals and need daily human interraction, air conditioning in summer, and regular vet visits to stay healthy.

Most of all, tho, I would recommend putting up flyers in the area where you found her.  I can just imagine the heartbreak of an owner whose ferret strayed away and they have not a chance of finding her INSIDE your home :-( I guarantee you that she remembers her REAL owners and will grieve for them, no matter how much love you give her. Also, ferrets 'imprint' on their food - if you don't know what she was eating in her previous home, you *could* have a problem getting her to eat. Ferrets are obligate carnivores, so she needs a food very high in MEAT protein such as Totally Ferret, Marshalls or 8 in 1 ULTIMATE (only)...do NOT feed her any dried fruits or vegetables such as you find in Kaytee Fiesta - that stuff is called "blockage in a bag" for a reason. They don't digest it properly and ferrets end up with intestinal blockages that can cost $1,000 for a surgery. There are just so many things a new ferret owner needs to know to keep her safe! I hope you will treat them as you would want to be treated if the tables were turned and the ferret YOU loved was lost  :-(*.

Sincerely,
Jacquie Rodgers