>From:    "Stadalski, Carrie" <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: hair loss
 
>Most of the time when you have hair loss due to adrenals or insulinomas
>it's at the base of the tail, right?  What would it be if he's slowly been
>losing a patch at the top of his front right leg?  He seems a little extra
>itchy, lately, (all over) but there's no fleas.  Also, the female in with
>him doesn't seem to have a problem.  Can ferrets have problems due to
>stress?
 
It could be stress.  But it's good not to too easily rule out adrenal
disease.  I know of one ferret who's first apparent symptom was a bald spot
on the head!  And other ferrets may, uncommonly, have diseased adrenals
found in exploratory surgeries for other problems, when no adrenal symptoms
have been apparent.  Adrenal fuzzies tend ot be itchier, too, though perhaps
stressed ferrets itch more... that I don't know.  The earlier you can treat
adrenal disease, the better chance for longterm recovery, which is why it's
important to keep it in mind.
 
>From:    Glenn Johnson <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Squeezes through?
>>I imagine there was a control group, who didn't receive the vaccine and
>>were infected with rabies, too.  How do you think the research is being
>>done on the ECE virus?  What do you think everyone was doing when ECE
>>broke out and we didn't know how to treat it at first?  ...
 
I don't think any research is being done, though I hope I'm wrong.  It was
some time ago that Dr. Williams told me drug-company funding had been
pulled.  Correctly me if I'm wrong, Dr. Williams.  I don't know about other
ECE studies, but what I heard was that Dr. Williams was using stool samples
that were sent to him for his research into ECE, in hopes of finding a
vaccine (he had isolated the virus).  I have never heard and would highly,
highly doubt that he was purposely infecting ferrets to have a control
group... I don't think there was a need.
 
Fuzzy hugs always,
Lynn Mc.
[Posted in FML issue 2226]