To Meg Carpenter -
 
        Very nice review of adrenal disease.  However, I have one point of
minor disagreement:
 
>Early neutering is definitely a factor since
>it is felt - in lay terms - that the adrenals try to take over the hormone
>activity necessary for the ferret when part of the ferrets endocrine system
>has been removed.
 
        Actually, this has been theorized, but never proven.  In a recent
study of 100 adrenal tumors at the AFIP, we have a 30% incidence in intact
ferrets.  Unfortunately, because msot of the ferrets that are presented for
surgery (i.e. well taken care of) are pet ferrets that have been neutered,
this skews the results.  Also, this theory was promulgated at the Animal
Medical Center in NYC, which has an overwhelming population of Marshall
Farms ferrets (which are neutered at an early age).  It's a good theory, but
certainly not a proven fact.
 
Bruce H. Williams, DVM         Dept. of Veterinary Pathology
Chief Pathologist, AccuPath    Armed Forces Institute of Pathology
[log in to unmask]         Washington, D.C.  20306-6000
                               [log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 1216]