>From:    Sterling Killian <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Adrenal Diseases & lack of vet consensus.
>I read the post today by the vet in Florida who said that she doesnt feel
>that adrenal disease is linked to early altering.  My vet in Little Rock Dr.
>Banes doesnt agree with her.
 
There is NOT a consensus.  Dr. Kemmerer is one of the most noted vets that
treat a lot of ferrets (see her web page for a technical reason for her not
calling herself a "ferret specialist").  Dr. Kawasaki here in Virginia is
another.  Both seem to have very similar opinions.  Dr. Brown (another noted
ferret treating vet) is one who we think also blames early altering but
we've not heard that directly from her.
 
From http://rio.atlantic.net/~weah/dwk.html
 + Word of Dr. Kemmerer's interest in ferrets spread rapidly in the
 + ferret community, and before long she was being referred to as a
 + "ferret specialist". (Technically, this term does not apply, since
 + a veterinarian may only call him or herself a "specialist" if he/she
 + is board-certified in that area, and a board certification in ferrets
 + is not available.)
 
>She also says she doesnt see it much in ferrets from other countries.
 
Not disputing your vets word as I actually think she might be right but how
many ferrets from other countries are there in Little Rock?  If you mean
that she hasn't heard of it much from other countries, Dr Kemmerer has a
very good explanation.  In most countries ferrets are not treated much by
vets.
 
>She thinks we might also have a genetic component at work: she believes this
>combined with the early altering procedure may be a large factor in the
>development of Adrenal disease.  (My words not hers- thats not a direct q
>uote that is just what she told me)
 
Adrenal tumors happen in late alters from reputable breeders but certainly
there seem to be more from pet store ferrets but is it out of proportion to
the rest of the ferret world?  Fifteen years ago no-one knew what adrenal
tumors were so they were not diagnosed as such.  The whole reason we want to
do a study on this is to get that answer.  Its all so much guessing until we
do a study.  We'll go on record stating that we will donate the space to
hold such a study (if we can do it in about 1000 square feet that is).  We
can't afford to buy all the ferrets and equipment needed but will supply the
space and much of the labor.  Anyone else want to help?
 
Other ideas brought up by other well reknowned vets that treat a lot of
ferrets are nutrition (too much or not enough of something), photo periods
(too much light on the wrong cycles) and stress.
 
Oh and by any chance did your family come from Illinois or Missouri?  We
might be related as well as the other Killians that I know in ferrets.
 
>From:    "Gowsell, Inez" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: ... a thousand conversations
>I also have an ermine on my bulletin board.  A queen's ermine at that!
 
Oh the ferret painting!
http://www.tiac.net/users/drbeer/joyce/ferrets/frhistpg.htm
  This is the Ferrets in Art History site of Joyce Miller...
 
http://www.tiac.net/users/drbeer/joyce/ferrets/frthist5.jpg
 + This is The Ermine Portrait of Queen Elizabeth the First, showing her with
 + her pet ferret.  Oddly, the artist has "ennobled" the ferret by giving it
 + ermine spots! This painting is owned by the Marquess of Salisbury, and
 + hangs in the Courtauld Institute of Art. Special thanks to Roberto Mangani
 + of Florence, Italy, for sending me a color copy of the painting (from the
 + cover of "Queen Elizabeth I, a Pitkin Guide").
 
http://www.tiac.net/users/drbeer/joyce/ferrets/f5.jpg
Is this the little picture you have?
 
>From:    Pamela Roth <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: weird ferret color
 
Do you by chance feed Totally Ferret?  Or another chicken based food?  They
have sometimes "dyed" ferrets yellow.  The color seems to come from dye that
is in the chickens.  Grocery store cat foods do the same thing only with the
dyes added to the pet food itself not indorectly through the chickens.
 
>From:    Deena Canal <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Where have we all gone
 
Some of us were here before Kodo and have remained here still.  Randy
Sellers is still doing it.  Diane Rogers is still doing it.  Call the AFA
and volunteer.  All of this talk about "a new National group" seems to have
fizzled.  If you want to help do so.  The two I mentioned are doing the bite
cases and legislation work (as part of the AFA) but sure could use some
help.  Efforts are underway in several states.  They are working ith local
groups so its not just the AFAstepping in and taking over.
 
>From:    "Preisig, Kylie KE" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Hammock history
 
I think Ferretstuff in Roanoke Virginia claimed to have the "original ferret
hammock" and this goes back more than ten years.  Suspect someone was making
improvised hammocks before that.  Not sure if they still make things or not.
 
bill and diane killian
zen and the art of ferrets
http://www.zenferret.com/
mailto:[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1997]