The affects of full-spectrum light has peaked my curiosity.  I have seen the
obvious benefits, 1st hand, w/my birds.  I'm going to try Dayna's light
therapy on my business.  This brings up several questions for me.  Are there
environmental differences, or is it strictly a bloodline that isn't
genetically predisposed to adrenal disease?  We have all heard that non U.S.
ferret don't experience adrenal disease, or at least not w/the frequency
U.S. ferrets do.
 
Do you non U.S. ferreteers house your fuzzies differently?  What I mean is,
where do you keep them?  Are they in your home or outside?  If they are kept
indoors, do you keep them where they are always exposed to natural sunlight
or do you provide supplemental lighting?
 
Also, is the non U.S. ferret diet significantly different?  Do you feed the
same kinds of processed food most of us do - such as IAMS, Totally Ferret,
Sheppard & Greene?  Do you supplement the diet with fruits, vegetables,
vitamins, or anything else?
 
Are non U.S. ferrets routinely kept whole (not spayed/neutered)?  If you do
spay/neuter, at what age?
 
If non U.S. ferrets aren't dying from the conditions we commonly see, what
are they dying from?  When you lose a ferret, do you routinely have a
necropsy done to establish the cause of death?  And what do you find the
average age of mortality to be?
 
I would appreciate hearing from anyone outside the U.S. who keeps ferrets
in significant numbers, such as breeders & rescue organizations.  As a
comparison, I would also like to hear from U.S.  breeders & rescues.  On
average, how many rescues do you take in per year & how many kits are
produced?  Here's one for you - Do you keep track of your kits & can you
say w/certainty what their lifespan is & if any have succumbed to adrenal
disease, lympho, cardio, etc?
 
I'm asking for your input strictly for my own edification & the benefit of
FML members.  As you can see from the general nature of my questions, this
isn't a scientific study.
 
LONG LIVE KODO
 
Juliana
Frodo, Rocks, Anola Gay, SNAFU, FUBAR, Tabu,
Chaos, Tuxedo, Bijou, Fiasco, & Dazzle
[Posted in FML issue 2072]