Hello Again:
 
Having just fired off our "Ripple Report", I'm struck with a question I'd
like to put to the group.
 
So far, out of the 9 ferrets living here (7 of ours, 2 guests; 4 males and 5
females), 3 of the 4 males have had to go in for surgery of one kind or
another:
 
       -- Scamp for an overactive and enlarged left adrenal gland;
       -- Zebulon for cancer in his left adrenal gland and gall bladder
          (and came out of it with some kidney impairment);
       -- Ripple for an enlarged spleen and an overactive/enlarged
          left adrenal gland.
 
We note a trend here.  All of the problem ferrets were males, and all had
similar symptoms.  The females have been doing *great* and, in fact, have
never been in surgery (with the exception of Minx back when she was a kit to
have her bad eye removed).
 
Is this normal?  Is this what others have found?  Do the males tend to have
more of these problems?
 
Steve and Colleen
Continually Matching Wits with Missy, Newone, Zebulon Pike,
                               Minx, Slinky, Puck, and Ripple
[Posted in FML issue 1428]