Bill and Diane wrote:
>A sable with mitts and a bib is most probably one that has
>Waardenburg syndrome.
 
Not necessarily.  From readings so far of actual research, the fur
markings which are definitive for Waardensburg are life-long panda heads
or life-long blaze heads ONLY so far (firm and well documented history in
multiple mammals of this neural crest disorder).  Possibly also DEW in some
cases, though that life-long appearance may have also have other causes for
the same markings.  I can recall a number of mitted and bibbed ferrets a
good while before ferrets with the Waardensburg genetic problems came on
the scene so prolifically (since handicaps were selected against earlier),
and can't recall even one of those early ones having ANY of the medical
problems that are associated with WS by long history, study, or
postulation.  Now, of course, there is the problem that WS became more
common and got interbred a lot due to some who emphasized "Fancies" in
sales pitches.  Am seeing mitts and bibs which are not as cleanly
deliniated and am wondering what multitude of things those might indicate,
in ones who live here and elsewhere.  It may be that some of these also
carry WS, or it may not be.  I suspect possible multiple causes, but the
numbers have NOT been done, and until there is firm data and the numbers
have been done people should not jump to conclusions.  That causes
unwarranted panic and it tends to interrupt or prevent solid research.
Remember, you yourselves have pointed out that small samples can easily
mislead, and do not let yourselves fall into the same fallacy.
 
Bruce Williams wrote:
>First of all, there is no evidence that vaccine reactions lead to
>heart disease.
 
Thank you for that information.  We hadn't been able to find any evidence
of this in humans and had gone so far as to ask a bunch of people in case
someone had noticed anything undocumented because the premise is intriguing
to an untrained eye, and, like Carla, we also had had some ferret family
members with both so when she brought it up we had wondered.  Then again,
when two things are not astoundingly uncommon and the lives get long there
will be individuals have some things coincidentally.  Two of our's who
reacted also had cardiomyopathy and they were related to each other.  Since
the tendency to have severe allergic reactions can have a genetic aspect
and the tendency toward cardiomyopathy can also have a genetic component we
always tended to think that the breeder had not been careful on multiple
scores.
[Posted in FML issue 3246]