Ferret question. What is the difference between getting a ferret neutered and having their glands removed?

Is there a difference or are they the same thing? What is the difference for a male and female?

Neutered=Male ferret cannot pro-create. [have babies]Spayed=Female ferret cannot pro-create. ['']Descented=Scent glands removed, highly suggested for either gender.It is strongly reccommended to have any pet ferret spayed/neutered as it can cause various health complications down the road. And descented is just a good idea because then they cannot spray their musk around and it minimizes their smell by A LOT.hope this helps <33answer mine? ferrets as well..http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AnuNIRxT9WyARBFbdURcZvvsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20091230154630AAVAbMC

Trippy is right...neutering/spaying means they cannot reproduce, getting their glands removed means they can't produce their little "poofs" of scent. Most ferrets are already neutered/descented when you buy them. Boys (hobs) have a stronger smell if they are not neutered. For females (jills), spaying is pretty much a necessity. If they are not bred regularly they will go into prolonged heat, causing aplastic anemia and it can be deadly.

Neutered= removing the uterus in the female (spay), or removing the testes(castrate)/ tying the vas deferen (vasectomy) in the male. This prevents both sexes from breeding and is necessary in order for ferrets to be good pets.Descenting= removal of the anal glands. Ferrets were once related to skunks (skunks have since been changed) and the glands that are removed are what ferrets use when scared or excited. They would use the glands to spray like a skunk, only the spray does NOT mark anything and the smell goes away quickly. Descenting is a completely unnecessary procedure done to most pet store ferrets in North America, but if you have a choice do NOT descent your ferret. In some places like Europe, it can be illegal and is looked down upon. It is compared to declawing a cat. It does NOTHING whatsoever to help the smell of the ferret itself, it only stops the spray.

They are different procedures entirely. Neutering is removing the reproductive ability by various surgical means. Most ferrets available will have been neutered, and marked as such. Many breeders mark by tattoos on the ears. Marshall for instance, puts one dot for descent, and a second for neuter. It is often done too early, which is somewhat detrimental to the physical build and personality, particularly of male ferrets. De-scenting is also surgical, but removes their glands that produce the characteristic musk present in all mustelids. These include weasels, minks, skunks, otters, stoats, ermines, polecats and several others. De-scenting is unnecessary, but often owners elect to do it. The smell they produce is very strong, but not as pronounced as a skunk, and fades much more quickly. A de-scented ferret will continue to have a particular smell, much like dogs and cats do, but this can easily be eliminated with regular baths. No less than 3 weeks apart, no more than 6 is recommended. As with any surgical procedure, it can be dangerous, but generally when done by an experienced veterinarian it is relatively safe.