Alicia, those hypotheses are interesting, but they still are only
hypotheses about adrenal neoplasias just like all the rest remain only
hypotheses no matter who wrote them (including me).  There are a number of
such postulations which are based upon a reasonable amount of info about
the biology involved.  Heck, it may turn out that each is involved in some
fashion, or it may not.  The simple fact is that no one knows.  Hypotheses
are NOT proven facts, they are INTERESTING DIRECTIONS FOR FURTHER
INVESTIGATION.  Some "common sense" approaches turn out to be just so much
noise when studied and some turn out to right on the mark.
 
All people can do is to try their best, admit that we are all working only
on guesswork now, and help fund studies to improve medical care through
donations to places like the Morris Animal Foundation (which reviews and
funds studies but does not do any studies itself) at 1-800-243-2345,
assorted veterinary schools at universities, the AMC, etc.  We donate to
several of those.
 
The lack of actual causal studies is shared by several other common ferret
medical problems, so when reading hypotheses here remember that until
studies are done there are good guesses which should influence your
behavior and the way you treat your ferrets but being hypotheses they
could prove EITHER right or wrong when properly checked.
 
As long as the experts can only say, "Well, these are possibilities..."
the rest of us have to be sure to separate our wishful thinking from actual
hard facts, and just take precautions while knowing that some will pan out
and others won't.  Telling which of those is which at this point simply is
not possible.
 
Was interested a great deal in Fred's first paragraph, esp.  the last
sentence.
 
>I am really energized about some of the posts the last few days.  We are
>again starting to talk and discuss some of the main problems our fuzzy
>have instead of flamming each other!!!!  Way TO GO!!!!  As to adrenal
>problems....I was ready to blame the whole mess on Marshall Farms for early
>altering, but after talking to Sam Young, I came to the conclusion that
>this problem may be a virus or maybe some form of bacteria or prehaps
>actually a compositum of many factors.  Sam explained to me that Australia
>had been doing early altering for decades and had just recently found afew
>adrenal cases, as some of the recent posting have shown.
 
Anyone in Australia willing to jump in on how common early neutering has
been over there to help us all learn more?  That comment is a new one for
me and very interesting.
[Posted in FML issue 3102]