Well, given that there are FML and FHL members who have had whole
ferrets with adrenal disease, I think it is an error on her part.
 
For example here is a vet post from Dr. Ruth Heller replying to a
statement I made:
 
>In a message dated 01/30/04 10:54:09 PM Eastern Standard Time,
>[log in to unmask] writes:
>The cases of whole ferrets with adrenal neoplasia I've heard of have
>been older than 5 years old (but so are most cases of adrenal neoplasia
>in neutered ferrets).
>
>I've seen a case of a two and a half year old intact female with
>both adrenal glands diseased.
>
> Dr. Ruth
 
That seemed to be the most persuasive, but you can find others.  This
particular post can be found at:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=SG7667
 
Besides, until Dr. Heller posted the cases of adrenal disease in whole
ferrets that i knew about were all older ones (as per my quoted
statement).
 
Anonymous wrote:
>It doesn't really matter how long the vaccine was tested, the "FACT
>IS" it was "TESTED" on ferrets, and that it "WAS PROVED" to be
>effevtive in guarding ferrets against the canine distemper virus.
 
Sorry, Anonymous, but Galaxy is NOT "proven".
 
The existing Galaxy test was VERY SHORT TERM so it does not prove that
the vaccine works for anything longer than that timeframe.  Just because
a vaccine works short term does not mean that it will work for longer
periods.  For example, when rabies vaccines were being tested for
effectiveness in ferrets one of the vaccines which works much longer
term in other species was effective for only 6 months in ferrets.
(Obviously, that vaccine was removed from consideration.)  Note in the
abstract on the Galaxy test:
 
>Live virulent CDV was administered to all ferrets intranasally and
>orally 3 weeks after the second inoculation.
 
so what we know is that Galaxy definitely worked on that handful of
kits 3 weeks after vaccination, but we do not know about 3 months, or 6
months, or a year, or more.  Nor did they test female ferrets or older
ferrets.  Vaccine responses also are less in older individuals when
standard vaccination methods are used instead of a hard injection
technique which goes between skin layers (which is why elderly people
who are vaccinated against influenza can get it more readily than younger
vaccinated ones) so a firm test needs to not only be on kits or
individuals in their primes.
 
Always be careful to not read more into a study than what was actually
done, though it is fine to have some speculation as long as you realize
that it is speculation and NOT proof.
 
It is really easy for speculation to be wrong in all sorts of ways.
 
That is why is also so important to try to remember the difference
between what is known and what is hypothesized.  I have known too many
ferret people who were hurt because they treated hypotheses as if they
were facts and then the worst happened anyway.  They did the right thing
for the ferrets in that they tried and they tried as hard as they could,
but they didn't protect themselves from the emotional pain of what was
tried not working by being most honest with themselves that hypotheses
often have holes in them.
 
As Mary said:
>Live virulent CDV was administered to all ferrets intranasally and
>orally 3 weeks after the second inoculation.
 
So, we still have NO information on it for longer that 3 weeks, no info
on it in females, no info on it in older ferrets.  Therefore, the proof
is sadly lacking -- and I am saying that as someone whose ferrets had
Galaxy for their most recent CDV vaccinations when the Purevax delay
was too long.
 
-- Sukie (not a vet)
Ferret Health List co-moderator
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
FHL Archives fan
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
replacing
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org
International Ferret Congress advisor
http://www.ferretcongress.org
[Posted in FML issue 5117]