Thanks Julie for posting your experience, we old time ferret owners need
to let the new ferret owners know just what their future is going to be
with ferrets!
 
Maybe the can of worms needs to be open and people need to see what it
really is like, and you have told everyone the truth in my opinion.  It's
hard telling people when they come to adopt a ferret it may not live much
more then 5 years and after 5 years the problems start.  Breeders say
they haven't seen adrenal and insulinoma in their ferrets, well maybe
that's because they don't' keep in contact over a certain amount of years
with those people that adopt or buy from them.
 
If you pay $300.00 to $400.00 for a ferret will it live longer and get
it from one of the top ferret breeders that have had experience for many
years?
 
In my opinion and the experience from other people that have done the
adrenal surgeries.  It usually starts with the left adrenal, then the
right and then if any cells are left they can still show up again and
cause the same problems.  I know of people that have spent thousands of
dollars on their ferrets and still the adrenal problem doesn't get solved
and they end up trying lupron, which with the experience I have had does
just as good of job.
 
I know that when I got into ferrets like you I thought well, I won't get
any ferret from Pet stores, only from breeders and have all my ferrets
fixed when they mature.  I will give them the best ferret foods on the
market, which according to everyone 9 years ago it was Totally Ferret.
I did later add the best quality of cat food in my opinion Innova, which
later I found out one of the top ferret breeders also uses.  I would only
use natural light, have lots of dark snuggle sacks for them.  Only use
glass bottles, use the best litter, make sure everyone gets out many
hours a day.
 
Well, then I got involved with rescue/sheltering and here came the
Marshall Farm, Triple Farm Ferret kits from the Pet Stores that they were
getting to early or no one would take and would beg me to take just this
one.
 
According to one vet I know she says all ferrets carry Helicobacter in
their systems and it's when stress or something else triggers it that
they end up with problems.
 
I will admit I am very upset with the fact that Petsmart is thinking
about selling ferrets in their stores.  I know the minute this happens
the few shelters in our area will not be able to handle the over load
of ferrets.
 
It wasn't until Petco's opened up here in Washington that we started
seeing an over flow of ferrets in the shelters.
 
Charleen and the Wa. Tails
[Posted in FML issue 4793]