I am so sorry to hear about the sad cases of poorly ferrets in the USA
but would refute that ferrets are sickly animals.  Ours in the UK are
fairly robust, despite many instances of neglect and cruelty.  I have
lost four out of 17 (all but two are rescues) in the last four years.
Two of these had suffered neglect and were always going to be vulnerable
little souls.  The four died from post op pneumonia, a stroke and two
cancer cases.  Many of our ferrets live to 10, 11 and 12.
 
I have been told that many ferrets in the USA come from just a few large
breeding centres and that many are neutured and descented very young.
Spaying and castration is done at six months here and no one descents.
Many ferrets are bred from traditional working stock by people that keep
just a few.  This means they are usually healthy - they also seem to be
larger than ferrets in the States.
 
I don't know if this explains any difference in health and illness
pattern.
 
Jenny Loweth, editor, Ferrets First (UK)
[Posted in FML issue 4131]