Elena, THANK YOU for using the word "STUDY"!  There's a lot in back issues
about a study from the Netherlands that made it's original point well --
showing that adrenal disease is certainly present there and not rare.  That
rates appear to be higher in non-neutered animals is certainly something
seen here in the States, too, though no one knows if age at neutering makes
a difference.  There was not sufficient evidence in that study to back up a
"trend" mentioned that age of neutering was a factor that could be directly
mapped.  See back issues of FML for discussions by multiple people who
checked it out and rechecked the math - including with mathematicians and
those who make their living doing research.
 
The fact of the matter is that studies are LACKING, then again funding for
such studies (to university research programs, clinics which do academic
studies, too, and the Morris Animal Foundation's Ferret Fund, etc.) are
not flowing in large enough amounts to do such studies.  Every few years
someone proposes that a certain thing must be the cause of this or that
(or more commonly or this AND that) but nothing is clear enough that simple
at-home experience of multiple readers can indicate that it presents a real
solution.  I was all gung ho about the darkness hypothesis and trying that
here; form non-ferret studies with hormonal cancers and from the
evolutionary background of ferrets it made sense, but in practise I have
to say that it made no difference with out home population.  Was worth a
try but didn't pan out here; of course, we are also discussing too few
animals to form a significant sample.  These are NOT simple problems and
they do NOT have simple answers.
 
Hey, folks, it's always good to put some monies toward advancing medical
care for ferrets!  The ferret you save could be your own!  Morris Animal
Foundation may be reached at 1-800-243-2345, 1-303-790-2345, 45 Inverness
Dr. East, Englewood, CO 80112-5480, and is currently helping to support
a university study designed to hopefully help reduce and manage certain
pregnancy complications in both domestic ferrets and BFFs.  In the past
their work helped fund some CDC studies needed to get changes to the
Compendium of Animal Rabies Control -- changes that got rid of a number
of ferret bans and also saved many ferrets' lives.  Donations to this 50
year old charity are tax deductible.  Furthermore, the founder of the study
(who developed a diet for dogs with kidney disease) arranged for enough to
be there to cover all administrative needs for a long time still, so 100%
of every donation goes directly to the projects being funded.
[Posted in FML issue 3319]