E.L. wrote:
>(5) Since it is becoming well known that pre puberty neutering (and
>possible inbreeding) has contributed to the estimation that some 70
>percent of ferrets, as typified by commercial mass breeders such as
>Marshall Farms, are doomed to develop cancer within the first four years
>of their lives.
 
I think that people should not panic about early neuters.  While I do
suspect that such early neutering could be part of the picture in the
development of adrenal growths (which themselves often respond beautifully
to surgery), we certainly have NEVER had an early adrenal growth here in
our 17-18 years with ferrets.  The earliest we ever had was at age 5 and
that was an unusual form of tumor which was encapsulated and she went on to
have another 3 and 1/2 years ahead of her.  In all that time only one of
our's was not an early neuter.  As a result, I think that assuming that
70% of early neuters get adrenal growths by age 4 is quite off-base in
our experience; we so far see them in the very same time-frame as the
late-neuter ferrets have them, and even then our number with adrenal
growths is something like 20 to 30% -- can't recall off-hand and don't
have time to run the numbers.  Who knows, though, maybe we just happen to
be lucky or are doing something else right.  It sure looks like early
neutering alone very likely doesn't cause early adrenal growths -- the
pattern looks like some things might work in combination.  It's of course
entirely possible that it's a contributing factor.  Also, there have been
multiple people who have mentioned that they have late neuter ferrets with
adrenal growths -- though I can't off-hand recall any of those being
younger than 5 years old so late neutering might affect timing, and I have
heard of at least one whole ferret with adrenal disease but in advanced
age.  Of course, it may also be that we'll get one or more in our three
below-4-year-old ones, yet, but if we do that's a great change from what
has happened with the fur-faces around here so far.
 
We do not have the option of having whole -- Steve is SEVERELY allergic to
their musk, but we have no problems with early neuters of either gender, or
with late neuter females around here.  To date, though we've only had one
late: a retired breeder who had an eye bitten through by a mounting male
during mating and needed a home.  Haleakala was a doll with us, BTW, but
could not stand other adult ferrets after her experience.  She OWNED my
belly button.  If Steve touched it he'd get in trouble (She was the type to
turd on a person's foot.) and I'd get a massive naval grooming.
 
I always worry about the very many females which die of aplastic anemia
if not mated so I have no real trouble with the farms -- which typically
supply pet stores -- doing early neutering since most pet stores seems to
NOT give out accurate care info.  (Yes, I know there are some exceptions.).
Have no problems with responsible private breeders handling things
differently since they are the sorts who will explain things and do
follow-up.
 
(Have problems with numbers for which I have seen no hard basis used to
scare people, though, also problems with people generalizing from human
aspects of things like mating to the ferrets and their well-being, without
hard data for such assumptions.)
 
Oh, Dad is telling people that his sliced neck is from Blanche (step-mom)
getting mad at him!!!!!!!!!  Blanche plays along with it and says that
her other name is Lizzie Borden.  I gather he's getting weird looks.  The
incision runs from the middle of his throat quite low down diagonally up to
behind one ear.  Thought you'd get a laugh from this!  It's well worth it
for a clean carotid after all those small strokes.  The ephaphasia (sp?)
cleared up, but his short-term memory problems (somewhat sporadic in terms
of degree but always present) are permanent so when he's having a bad day
of it conversations get quite long and repetitive.
 
This might be a good time to get that ferret book(s) you have always
wanted.  It seems that several of the on-line bookstores are having $10
coupons; you might want to ask the bookstore companies about them.  We have
used the B&N type, and a friend claims to have run into them elsewhere.
 
Sukie (where N-Central N.J. in early Dec. this year means having the wreath
and garland on the balcony along with still-blooming carnation, veronica,
and scabiosa.)
[Posted in FML issue 2888]