I've never posted on the FML before, but I read it regularly just to get an
idea of what's going on out there.  I would like to address a couple of
medical concerns.  For those of you who don't know me, I am a veterinarian
in Florida and I have had a "ferret-intensive" practice for ten years.  I
treat about 1500 ferrets a year, many of them from large ferret farms and
many of them from private breeders, of which there have been many in this
area over the years.
 
First: Using an organic oil (ie carbon-based) such as olive oil, canola oil,
sesame oil, etc will NOT help pass a foreign body.  If you've used these
successfully, then those particular foreign bodies would have passed anyway.
Those oils are absorbed by the intestinal tract and will not "grease up" the
digestive system.  The same holds true for prevention of hair balls.  In
order for an oil to help pass hairballs or other foreign bodies, it must not
be absorbed by the GI system.  That's why most hairball laxative contains
petrolatum or mineral oil.  Hairball laxative or mineral oil are the only
oils that are not absorbed.  The catch is you must be very careful if you
administer mineral oil, because if your ferret aspirates it (takes it down
his trachea instead of his esophagus), the body will not be able to absorb
it and get rid of it there either.
 
Second: My two cents on the great MF controversy.  I don't know why ferrets
have a high incidence of adrenal tumors.  I suspect there are multiple
factors.  I can say unequivocally that all ferrets, not just MF ferrets have
an increased incidence, and I have treated and consulted about many european
ferrets as well as American ones.  I've been reading that many of you firmly
believe MF's practice of early spay/castration is responsible.  It is a fact
that pounds and shelters across the country have been doing early
spay/castration on dogs and cats for many years, and multiple studies
including a new ten-year one have yet to show any increase in any disease or
problems in these two species.  Physiologically and biochemically, ferrets
are not very different from dogs or cats, and there is no reason to believe
that spaying them early would have a more negative impact than on dogs or
cats.  In addition, there have even been several studies done on horses to
determine if gelding males at less than a week of age has detrimental
effects on them, and none have been seen so far (at fifteen years, I
believe).  These studies lead me to believe that early neutering is not the
culprit.
 
I hope I haven't taken more than my share of space.
 
Thanks,
Debbie Kemmerer DVM
[Posted in FML issue 1995]