Pretty much anyone who has been on the FML for any length of time has
been helped -- and usually more than once -- by Troy Lynn.

Troy Lynn is a sweetheart, a gentle angel, who has been saving ferrets
for decades, postponing her own personal needs to do so.

She also is willing to be factual, even when what she finds does not
agree with what another finds. When she says that she is seeing longer
lifespans now than before I know that I can believe her, no matter how
much someone with far less background than hers and knowledge than hers
rants and accuses and exaggerates.

Troy Lynn was one of the major players in some large rescues from pet
abusers, and one of the major players in getting the rabies regulations
improved and saving many ferrets that way. She's the kind of person
ferrets and ferret people are lucky to have around, someone who truly
helps others and does so with grace, consideration, and kindness.
--

Now here is something to think about which has nothing to do with Troy
Lynn, but is a piece of history for people to ponder: back 20 years and
more there were not all the fancy types of ferrets seen in the U.S. in
more recent years -- in fact there were almost no fancies -- and the
food was garbage (grocery store pet foods though I think they were
better then than now) because that is all that existed BUT the ferrets
didn't seem to have as much endocrinological disease (adrenal disease
and insulinoma) as now and they didn't live any shorter life spans. In
fact, I think that I read of more who were over the age to 10 years old
back then than now, and certainly vets I know who practiced then have
said to me that those diseases were in lower rates then. (What seemed
to be reported more then than now were ruptured spleens and maybe
lymphoma.)

Another thing that was different then (and there will be multiple
things that were) is that those green equipment lights that are on
about everything these days weren't around. Green is the second worst
light wave length (after blue) for causing problems with the body's own
melatonin production. It's a shame they don't use amber which is the
least disruptive (possibly followed by red). (We actually buy bulbs
from LowBlueLights.com to try to help the ferrets, and we cover those
green lights as much as we safely can at night.) Reducing the body's
melatonin production is a known cause of increased LH (Luteinizing
Hormone) output which is a marvelously well demonstrated trigger of
adrenal disease, and there may be aspects in common for both of the
endocrinological diseases that ferrets get: adrenal disease and
insulinoma. Work on melatonin reduction exists in other species as
well. In humans it looks to pose a problem for some other hormonal
malignancies such as breast cancer and colon cancer and it may be
a consideration with leukemia (which might also relate to the high
amount of melatonin found in healthy marrow in one human study).

There are projects which have found two possible major genetic
vulnerabilities in U.S. ferret lines and other possible genetic
players are also planned to be looked for if the funding holds up
in those places. Since the damage is already done from years of
pronounced breeding for fancies the questions become:
1. How much of what is being seen is genetic?
2. Would husbandry changes affect the expression of those genetic
vulnerabilities and if so then which changes? Providing access to total
darkness seems to make a difference in rates. What else may -- keeping
in mind that not all suppositions pan out when they are tested, even
some good looking ones? (And what is ultimately needed are real
studies, of course.)

Those in other nations may well want to be sure to advise the people
who want to breed fancies to use caution, and place health, longevity,
and behavior first to reduce their chances of facing similar problems
(as well as being thankful when they have lower levels of night time
light pollution as Australia does, for example), and anyone who lives
in a situation where they can keep green lights out of the ferrets'
room(s) -- which we can't because housing is so expensive here that
rooms serve many purposes -- can also be grateful for their good fortune.

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 6063]