Okay, I have noticed more than a few folks recently assuming that any
adrenal disease must be cancer (also a spate recently of folks thinking that
an observation, blood test, or nodal aspirate can be relied upon to diagnose
Lymphoma when the only truly reliable way is to remove a node completely and
have it tested by a competent veterinary pathologist used to ferret
diseases), or that adrenal disease is Cushings, that right adrenals are
inoperable, or whatever.  Be calm.  First off, it's common on pathological
testing for ferret adrenal tumors to be benign.  (But it is still best for
the ferret's health to remove them when possible.) Secondly, when they are
cancerous they very often are well encapsulated so that surgery itself is
totally curative.  Meltdown ( an old stock Path Valley who has been with us
since she was 5 weeks old, and is going to be 8 and 1/2 years on April 4th,
and has had diagnosed cardiomyopathy with ventricular bigemini for a touch
over a year now) SEVERAL YEARS ago had her spleen out (It was so large that
it impeded her descending colon and other organs.) and she had out a
diseased left adrenal which was MALIGNANT, but was well encapsulated.  So
far she has NEVER had a cancer again and she never needed chemo.  Hjalmar
who passed away some years ago had a right adrenal with lympho.  (You'll see
he was 2 years old in FML Issue 1, if curious.) This was before anyone
mentioned that the Vena Cava could be safely ligated.  Between chemo and
surgery he had another lively and enjoyable 14 months ahead of him after the
disease was first diagnosed, and he passed away close to eight years old.
Since then chemo for ferrets has improved vastly.  It's all a matter of
finding a vet who either actually knows ferrets (as opposed to just claiming
to know them), or one who is enthusiastic about learning.  Then YOU provide
the VARIOUS MEDICAL FAQs which are available from Pam Greeene (
[log in to unmask] ) or Bill Gruber to your vet so the vet learns
both information and from whom to get more information.  The vets in there
and who help us all each week, and those who research such as the VERY kind
ladies at the AMC are also wonderful to consult with.  Read the FAQs
yourself, too.  Oh, and adrenal disease raises the estrogens which is quite
different from Cushings.
 
Though many years ago I used monkey chow as part of the diet for procyonids,
I would NOT use it as the principal food source for mustelids.  If it still
has a high level of insect protein in it then that would most likely be no
problem, but it's low in flesh protein, and even though it feels greasy it
should be too low in fats.  It's also going to have far too much fiber.
Even worst aspects are: 1.  that ( if memory serves ) it does not contain
taurine so using it for 11 months or more might predispose a ferret to
cardiomyopathy and even less time could damage the eyes, and 2.  New World
Monkey Chow (as opposed to Old World) is very high in vitamin D which might
reach levels unhealthy for your ferret.  I can easily believe ferrets like
the taste.
 
Genets:  genus genetta, about 6 species, african members of viveridae (i.e.
related to mongoose, civet, binturong, etc.).  They are very long lived in
zoos, and look somewhat like cats, but are not felines.  They are no more
closely related to our guys than your pet pooch or puss.
 
BTW, this December 21 will be the 10th anniversary of the FML, and I just
learned last night that even though he started reading about a year earlier,
this coming October will be Steve's 20th anniversary of having his own
account on an Internet predicessor.  There were four newsgroups; it served 5
universities, Bell Labs, and Brookhaven National Labs; the entire thing
could be read in 15 minutes.  What a change!
 
Sukie
[Posted in FML issue 1878]