My understanding of the U Tenn panel test for adrenal disease is this.  The
test is designed to evaluate several (2?) hormone levels.  Unfortunately it
may be other hormones that are actually elevated (and not those the test was
designed for).
 
This would cause a negative reading when in fact the ferret is asymptomatic.
I heard this second hand, but was told that Dr. Rosenthal who helped
initiate this study and has since dropped out of it had relayed this
information.  The test works for those hormones it was designed for,
unfortunately they are finding that other hormones not those screened for
may be elevated.  That is an explanation on WHY the test MAY NOT work.
 
So the test perhaps is not an accurate tool for determining whether the
ferret has the disease.  I would go with symptomatic evaluation.
 
Fondly in ferrets,
Alicia
[Posted in FML issue 2104]