Judy wrote:
>Think of what it would be like if your ferret had adrenal disease and
>no one could tell you anything about it.  If there were no surgery, no
>medication you could try.  "Give supportive care" is what all the books
>say about AD...there's no hope.
 
Know the feeling of frustration, not for ADV, but for so very MANY things
before there were approaches.  Have been there in the past with adrenal
growths, insulinoma, lympho, cardiomyopathy with ventricular bigemini,
and some other things.  It has not been all that long since there were
no treatments for those, either.  Can recall the suffering of those poor
families dealing with ECE before enough was known, too.  BECAUSE PEOPLE
CARED ENOUGH TO FUND RESEARCH AND BECAUSE VETS CARED ENOUGH TO DO RESEARCH,
TREATMENTS WERE FOUND.  Not all are helpful for some, but most are helped.
I can recall ADV being discussed here on the FML (or possibly in the things
that led to the FML) based upon info in James Fox's first ferret vet care
book (1989 publication).  Other problems without answers came first because
so very many more ferrets were affected by them.  Remember that ferret
medical care is in very large amount a recent thing, and that the rate of
progress has been incredible, so much so that many vets have trouble
keeping up with the progress.
 
This is despite the fact that not enough is donated by a long shot; llama
health research actually greatly surpasses the donations for ferret health
research, as do donations to help horses, dogs, cats, and some other
critters.  Part of the pace is set by donation rate, I am afraid, and when
donations are low the ferrets suffer.  If you want to turn that around here
is the contact info to do so:
 
ADV study of samples send in from pet ferrets with ADV:
M.A. Stevenson, DVM. PhD, DACVS
209A Vet Med Building
Dept. of Small Animal Medicine
UGA College of Veterinary Medicine
Athens, GA 30602-7390
 
Fund in which you can specify an illness such as ADV (the GA and PA
studies):
AFA
1-888-FERRET1
 
Foundation in which you can specify that donations go the Ferret Fund
(set up to help both domestic ferrets and BFFs):
Morris Animal Foundation
1-800-243-2345
 
Clinic which works to advance veterinary approaches:
AMC 1-212-838-8100
 
Alternatively, you may find a different vet school to which you'd like to
contribute, or a different clinic which also works to advance vet care.
Steve and I have given to several of those through the years.  It's up to
you; the pace of improvement in knowledge is to a good extent dependent on
your desire to improve medical care for ferrets.  Most, perhaps all, of
the above are tax deductible, BTW.  YOU have the power to help save ferret
lives!
 
The approaches we have now for so very many ferret health problems exist
because there was enough concern that people did more than complain.  That
is what is now happening with ADV; people like you, Judy, are providing
the sorts of help needed.  Now, the rest of the FML needs to get on board.
Imagine if each person here gave just $5; think what could be achieved with
$10 from each.  Yes, I know it's hard sometimes; right now we are waiting
to find out if the division which employs Steve may go away and won't know
till October, but we are putting a check in the mail anyway because this is
just too important to not do so.  There are over 3,000 people on the FML,
folks!  At least 2/3 of those must be solvent enough to give something;
those sending $5 each would add up to would be over $10,000.  Progress has
been made before; what was learned in the past has saved very many ferrets.
Everyone here already has benefited or will benefit soon enough as a
result.  We know that success can happen again specifically because it
has happened before.  All it takes is enough people trying -- with work,
samples for study, and donations.  Take 5 minutes, take $5 and send it out,
take a chance on improving the future.  If you can manage more, all the
better.  Imagine what life would be like if there had not been earlier
contributions by people who care which helped your ferrets who have had
adrenal growths, or insulinoma, or ECE, or... Print out this note so that
you have the contact info handy and make your contribution today.  The
ferrets you save may be your own.
 
As Judy wrote:
>I would also like to make sure you understand that I do not post to this
>list begging for research funds because I want you to help my ferrets that
>have AD.  There is no help for my ferrets.  There is no treatment and no
>cure.  As Dr. Williams said in his presentation "Aleutian Disease is a
>death sentence".  I post here and push for contributions to the ADV
>research funds on behalf of YOUR ferrets, and all the ferrets that not
>yet been born.  Please send something...whatever you can.  Thank you.
[Posted in FML issue 3189]