I wanted to add a little to my Wolfy's Worms notes.
 
Although we had most die between the ages of late 6th year and mid 8th
year we lost more younger than that compared to older than that, so our
bell curve has the lip on that younger side longer.  Each of the young
ones who died of lymphoma (except possibly a JL one) died during lympho
clumps.  Of the elderly ones who died of lympho -- they died at times as
parts of clumps and there was a probably solitary one who I can think of
off-hand but she may have been a straggler as part of clump.  (Lympho
clumps are not terribly common; we've just had ferrets a long time (24
years) so have had time to run into two.  You can read a marvelous write
up on Lymphoma in a pdf of an article that Dr. Bruce Williams wrote for
Ferrets magazine available from
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
(BTW, almost all of the ages here are NOT estimated since only a few came
as adult rescues; most of our rescues have been kits.)
 
FYI: the severely deformed ones and some others who weren't in such a bad
way who we had were from a single mid-sized farm but that was because
they knew that we would take them and work with them.  In general the
least healthy ones we ran into were from the types of private breeders
who don't care what they do as well as being originally from fur fitch
stock (bad combination).  The most healthy came for careful private
breeders (not all late neuters, BTW).  The farms fell in the middle and
I am sure everyone realizes that some private breeders also will fall in
the middle.
 
i DO think -- and LIKE MOST ELSE IN THIS DISCUSSION THIS IS HYPOTHETICAL
that U.S. ferrets were healthier in the old days before there was so
much selective breeding for some fancies -- at least in our area.
Ferrets with neural crest variation genetics used to be almost never
seen.  Now it is rare to find any kits -- especially pet store ones --
who don't show the telltale extraneous spotting like white body spots,
incomplete and unevenly bordered mitts, splotches, bibbs without smooth
margins, etc.
 
People who weren't there and didn't have the interactions with the other
area people we knew here won't realize what it tended to be like here.
The were real extremes (Many area ferrets strong then, but some people --
more easily avoided back when it was a bit easier to figure out who sold
their kits -- having fur fitch and some (sometimes the same ones with fur
fitch stock) just letting them breed willy nilly, resulting in very short
lives in very vulnerable animals.) For the most part (not ones from those
bad breeders) even though the food was lousy -- we are talking Meow Mix
and the like, folks -- the ferrets were pretty much all the standards in
appearance (most sables and chocolates with no fancy markings on most,
and they usually did not get sick until they were quite old.
 
BTW, I do NOT think that Meow Mix is a good diet for them.  I think that
they weren't as genetically vulnerable as current stock so that what we
each do in our own homes makes more of difference now.  And, yes, that
is a guess even though it has some basis behind it.
 
Nowadays, I find that vet intervention earlier in life than then is
pretty often needed.  It is not unusual to need to have vet help.  In our
area we have been very lucky in that we had some good vets quite early
on, and in the last 15 or so years we have had great vets.  I think that
comes largely due to the AMC and the specialized training it provides
being nearby and some graduates not leaving the general area and then
training other vets in their practices so the knowledge spreads.
 
In areas where there are not as many good vets I do think that the death
rate bell curve would move toward the earlier death dates because vet
care matters.  Yes, I know some people can't afford it.  I understand
that; we can't afford more room for the ferrets to bounce around in.
 
BTW, even early on our ferrets had a lot of exercise and a lot of
darkness.  I had some health problems but needed to avoid surgery as long
as possible due to an allergy problem with anesthesia so mostly cared
for the home (which back then included things like building most of the
furniture we had or rescuing yard sale pieces and reupholstering them)
and worked part time, while Steve worked more than full time.  When we
were both out the ferrets went into fully equipped carry cages under our
platform bed (which has a lip and drawers, allowing a good opening all
around so that particular version has great air exchange) because we were
renters and that way they not only got full darkness but weren't seen if
any apartment managers let themselves in.  Due to space considerations at
night and when they were out playing the cages were then under a table
that had a long skirt in black with brown bamboo pattern that I made (one
way to hide that it was a rescue piece of furniture) so between the day
under bed hours, the location of that skirted piece of furniture, and
homemade bedding and hammocks inside they got a lot of darkness even
back then.
 
I think that as STANDARDS and CURRICULA for exotics vets improve I think
that people will begin having longer living ferrets in most places in the
U.S. (and there are people working toward this goal which is still many
years away but I am not free to say more at this time, but do quietly
wish them luck, folks).  I also KNOW that vets who did not specially
study exotics are completely able to become excellent exotics vets if
they have the time and the inclination to learn, and are willing to use
consultants.  Also, I know that understanding medical problems ourselves
as non-vets allows us to spot things earlier and that, too, allows for
longer lives.
[Posted in FML issue 4793]