I wanted to address something that has my head shaking in utter belief...
and I think it warrants a warning to all ferret owners out there who may
encounter an Adrenal Disease Shaman...
 
This shaman professes to hold special abilities that allow them to "know"
a ferret is adrenal.  They feel the ferret... smell the ferret... look at
the ferret... and then judge it to be adrenal.  Although they profess
that they are not a vet, they do in fact state that they have the uncanny
ability to spot adrenal disease months in advance, and catch things that
a highly trained ferret knowledgeable vet would miss.
 
I urge anyone who runs into one of these ferret AD Shamans to consider
the following information before relying on the advice of a person who
clearly states that they are not a vet...
 
1. A great many ferrets who have turned out to be adrenal have been
found to exude a particular "stinky pit" odor.  But this alone does not
constitute adrenal disease diagnosis.  Some ferrets who are adrenal do
not have this stinky smell upon them, and a stinky smell could mean
something else.
 
2. Hair loss is not a definitive sign of adrenal disease itself and
could be the result of some other underlying ailment or external
parasite.  Some ferrets have the disease and show no hair loss what
so ever.
 
3. Coarse hair is not a definitive sign of adrenal disease itself and
could be the result of stress, poor nutrition, breeding and so on.  Some
ferrets have coarse fur all of their lives.
 
4. Although an experienced ferret knowledgeable vet can at times palpate
an enlarged adrenal gland, there are other organs and tissues in the same
area that an inexperienced, non-vet person, could mistake for an enlarged
adrenal gland.
 
5. Anyone can make the same diagnosis and come up with the same odds as
a person who claims to have special gifts or talents in this area,
because adrenal disease is the most common of any of the diseases that
ferrets will ever get.  If you were to take all the ferrets in one area
and put them into a room, randomly pick one, your chances of being right
are as high as 50%!  Do the same with a flip of a coin and you could be
just as right!
 
6. Your vet does not spend 24/7 with your pet.  You know it best.
You are the best person to judge changes in behaviour, to give info
on changes in diet, etc.  Always give your vet the most amount of
information you can in order to help make a proper diagnosis.
 
Be wary of those that say they possess these special gifts, especially
if they say they catch things sooner that a ferret knowledgeable vet has
missed.  They have a 50% chance of being right, but how are you going to
feel if you spend the money on a surgery only to find out they were
wrong?
 
Don't be fooled... trust in those that have the true experience and have
the credentials to prove it.
 
betty and her blur o'fur
for the love of ferrets
missing Spaz, our Naked Mole Man...
[Posted in FML issue 4029]