Hi,
Yes there are ferrets who do stay healthy although I don't know if that
is the same in the USA.
 
Here in Holland I have customers who have ferrets who do have a age of 16
and 18 years old.  Generally speaking these are small ferrets and also
their owners are mostly hunters, farmers or people who do keep them
outside.
 
The vet in Holland who does know the most about ferrets is Hannke Moorman.
To her opinion the influence of light (keeping ferrets indoors, so the
effect is that they also have more light (lamps burning at evening etc)
seems to cause ofter problems like cancer (all kinds of).
 
To my opinion not only "light" has a bigger influence but also the
difference in feeding the ferrets.  Candies etc are not healthy, nor are a
lot of (special) ferretfoods (too much (fruit) sugars etc.  To ferret
owners with ferrets who have for example insulinoma etc.  she (the
specialist vet) recommend to cover the cage at evening (so only daylight)
and feed nothing with sugar or fruit sugar in it, nog can-food, no
(cat)milk, no fruit etc..  Somehowe the special catfood overhere is
better to the health of the ferret.
 
To my opinion (it's the same with dog and cat food) too much vitamins etc
is also a damage for the body!  Hunters/Farmers and other outdoor people
feed chicken etc...
 
So your ferret can stay healthy.  I have a shelter for years specialist in
problem ferrets, not only the agressive ones (terrible biters) but also
very sick one... honestly speaking my own breeds and ferrets are getting
older and are much healthier as the one dumped at the shelter (often they
do come from the same breeders).
 
Bye
Carmen
 
=====
Ferret's Friend Forever T.O.P. Shelter
-for indoor & outdoor ferrets-
NL - Pb 12, 4024 ZG, Eck en Wiel
Tel/Fax. (+31)0344-692790 of (+31)0627-001165
http://dieren.clubs.nl/FerretsFriendForever
http://tip.nu/FerretsFriendForever
[Posted in FML issue 3398]