>Look at how ferrets have a very different adrenal disorder than most
>mammals... Just this week I have heard of three people confusing it with
>Cushings and as a result mistakenly thinking that steroids pose the a
>specific serious hazard for ferret adrenal glands that they pose for
>dogs and humans.  Species do vary!
 
Oh, just so you know: since I'm not a vet I arranged their conversation
with ferret specialist vets for each of the individuals in that group who
contacted me privately with these questions, though I wish they'd posted
to the FHL instead of writing privately.  (There just are days that I
just don't get to my private mail, I am NOT a vet, and I don't like
asking favors too often -- a personal quirk of mine -- so I have to
reserve it for extreme situations which are not so extreme that the
person should be running to the vet.  Otherwise i pass on the FHL addy at
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
and the links in the References List at http://www.ferretcongress.org.)
Dr Bruce Williams and Dr. Jerry Murray helped them and copied to me.
 
Although I have a lot of years of experience, I certainly am NOT a vet so
I am not ferret health specialist; not having that education there simply
are pieces of the puzzle missing that I have no way to know are missing
for me.  I already knew from the specialists that the pred danger to
adrenals that exists for dogs and humans wasn't a concern for ferrets,
but there are a number of things for which arranging vet to vet
communication simply is the best thing for the ferret, and such contact
where vets learn nuances from other vets can help more ferrets faster
than anything else usually, I've noticed.  I have a high regard for
ferret specialist vets, obviously, and they have earned it.
[Posted in FML issue 3953]