>A very experienced ferret person I know has a theory about adrenal
>problems and maybe other hormone-related issues in ferrets."
 
I put a lot of the adrenal and other medical problems that US ferrets
get down to intensive breeding and to the fact that they are spayed or
neutered at a very early age.
 
Here in the UK ferrets only have one or two cycles and we don't have all
the problems that are seen in US ferrets.
 
I personally think that ferrets should only be bred from in their first
season in any given year, and that spaying or neutering should only be
done when they are both sexually and mentally mature, this to me would
cut out a lot of problems.
 
At the present time I have 15 ferrets ranging in age from one born in
1990 to three of this years kittens, they are one vasectomised hob, one
breeding hob and three young hobs, the rest are jills, all but one of
my jills are whole and I have not had any of the problems that seem to
happen to US ferrets.
 
As for feeding ferrets.  I first started taking in rescued ferrets in the
70's and all of my first ferrets were fed on raw meat diet, with tinned
cat food included, then when I started feeding the cats on a dry food mix
the ferrets also got this.  It is only since 2001 that I have been using
any sort of dry ferret food, some of the ferret will not eat it where as
others will so I now mix the dry ferret food with the dry cat food, all
of the ferrets also get a wide range of raw and cooked meats
[Posted in FML issue 3956]