Amy wrote:

>Maybe some attention to the things we can change that affects the
>health of our pets (diets,vaccinations, chemicals/poisons, husbandry)
>would go a long way in lowering the numbers of unhealthy animals with
>diseases and health conditions that are considered 'normal'. Ask
>older people about how they used to raise their animals and the lower
>incidence of diseases back then, and the answer is there as to why
>health problems are on the rise.


Well, we have had ferrets for 26 years.  We might qualify as "older".

Some (of MANY) things that have changed:
1. food quality (In general CURRENT food is more nutritious and with
less in the way of carbohydrates.)
2. equipment lights (Those lights which decrease the body's own
manufacture of melatonin were not around then but are on huge numbers
of things now.)
3. fancy ferrets (These were very rare back then; now they are the
norm. Ironically, one of the only fancies around then is not seen now.
Those were true red and auburn and did not have the coloration from
food.)
4. vaccinations (Back then dog vaccines that did not involve ferret
tissue and had killed virus were used and vaccine then were grown in
eggs as the standard influenza vaccines still are. These days vaccines
are not grown in eggs.)
5. plastics (I do NOT know if the types of plastics in things like
ferret water bottles has changed, but think that it probably did
because I think I recall the bottles being clear and very easily
squeezed as opposed to the current milky and firmer plastic.)
6. litters (They were all clay and sand then.)

Even then most of the ferrets were early neuters. That isn't to say
that early neutering is without problems, but that by itself it may
not be as large a concern as when it is combined with things like
increased light exposure, and genetic vulnerabilites such as perhaps
P53 tumor suppressor gene alterations (found in ferrets by Dr. Bob
Wagner) or potential tumor promoting variations like MEN (Multiple
Endocrinological Neoplasia) (found in ferrets by the team of Dr.
Michelle Hawkins), etc. A good amount of the core pet stock from all
U.S. breeders was from some ferrets who Dr. Wendy Winstead convinced
the since gone owner of Marshall Farms to let her buy to begin the pet
market. In fact, we even had a ferret she had bred. Back then, though,
the breeders usually didn't breed and promote the fancies. That changed
later to the point where stock that is pure standard markings or pure
albino or both is incredibly hard to come by. Then after health
problems seemed to be increasing and showing up at earlier ages people
began bringing in foreign stock, but still often emphasizing their
fancies as the ferrets being bred.

MANY things have changed in the last 30 years. It is easy to narrow
down to just a handful, but a great more has changed than just those
things in the U.S.

Now, in relation to vaccines: Canine Distemper is a HORRIBLE
neurological disease. Rabies is worse.

Might it be possible that once the original series is past that
vaccines may be able to be given less often? Certainly. Do we know yet
how to do that safely? Nope. That is why two studies are under way to
try to understand what the results of titer level tests actually mean
in ferrets for avoiding Canine Distemper. In fact, you can participate
in one. Go to the American Ferret Association website and you will
easily find the Mongo Canine Distemper study. Print the pages and share
them with your vet.

Not all diseases have reliable enough titer levels. For example, if
you look at when titer levels are considered acceptable for medical
personnel you will find a number of diseases for which titer results
can not be submitted instead of vaccination records. For some other
diseases titer levels do work out fine. Canine distemper vaccine in
dogs gives reliable titer levels. Now we have to find out if the titer
levels are reliable and consistent enough (and what causes variations)
in ferrets. Then the next step will need to happen: challenge testing.
When both parts of the multi-year studies are done -- and only then --
we will know how more widely the vaccinations can be spaced. That said,
some of us have gone to having Canine Distemper shots given every 18 to
24 months IF there is not a nasty CDV epizooic happening locally and IN
CONJUNCTION with precautions such as no outside shoes coming into the
homes.

Sukie (not a vet)

Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html

[Posted in FML 5703]