Once again: while the EXPERTS say that there are only hypotheses which
might or might not pan out then none of us with less knowledge is likely
to be able to do more than perhaps see suggestions of direction.  A few
seminars or semesters (depending on person, including me) on endocrinology
is pretty well squat.  Ditto genetics.  If it were a "silent gene" by which
I suspect you mean a recessive allele which had not been widely expressed,
you'd have to somehow account for that allele increasing it's presence or
its expression in the general population but the mechanism for that is
lacking, especially in such a radical and widely expressed shift and a
population from multiple breeding sources.
 
HYPOTHESES PROVIDE INTERESTING DIRECTIONS FOR FURTHER STUDY but they are
NOT ANSWERS.
 
While a lone pocket in Australia could indicate one region in which
veterinary care is up on adrenals or one in which there is a non-usual
practise by "owners" there, remember that the poster who mentioned this
commented upon SEVERAL vets who sound like they aren't in that pocket yet
have a strong interest in adrenal growths, also remember that there may not
be a practise isolated to that area.  If that pocket in Australia and the
national scene there are as was represented in the original post then it
could be a unique learning opportunity.
 
It is VERY important that studies be funded (Again GIVE to places like the
Morris Animal Foundation, AMC, research groups at vet schools, etc.) which
fund studies and say what categories you want your money to be used for.
 
We are STILL going around in circles on whether neutering, either early or
late makes any difference at all.  NO ONE KNOWS.  (Sam, could you speak
more on Neutering in N.Z.?) (Could some observers in Europe speak on
changes there?) (More from Australia?) (Any comments from Central or South
Americas?) (Japan?)
 
Neutering at any age MIGHT well increase rates -- if what people have said
to me over the years is true about whole ferrets rarely having adrenal
growths and then usually only in old age.  We REALLY need BREEDERS to be
forthcoming with such information and to have them working with research
vets on such numbers if such studies can be funded.  (Still, not neutering
has other serious health impacts when not breeding which are so very often
WORSE than adrenal neoplasias.)
 
We also need to see IF there really is ANY difference at all in rates
between early vs.  6 month neuters.  Years ago late neuters were the hot
new thing to try, but now it seems like a good many of those ferrets are
also getting adrenal neoplasias.  Is the rate the same or is it lower (or
perhaps even higher)?  NO ONE KNOWS FOR SURE.  That would be a very
important piece of information to have, don't you think?  (It does appear
that late neuters might well be better for the skeletal system, though,
based upon findings of someone, B.C., in a position to know.)
 
If neutering (meaning any age here) increases the rate of adrenal
neoplasias but most ferrets still do not get such growths, then there is
likely to be another factor(s) working along with that neutering.  Such a
factor may be hard to control (such as an unidentified virus) or easy to
control (reducing stress, increasing exercise, providing full darkness for
a certain number of hours each day, changing foods, etc.).  It could be
that several factors are involved, and that certainly seems very likely.
All that any of us can do is to try our best, encourage and help fund
studies, and understand that NO ONE KNOWS but many of us sure are guessing,
perhaps even guessing well at times.
 
S: Health care costs partly depend on where in the states a person is.
Just as a little condo here costs three times what a decent free-standing
house runs in some parts of the nation where we've got family and friends,
so, too, do veterinary costs reflect the cost-of-living for their
locations.  Some people can get a left (usually the easy one) adrenal done
for $200.  On the upper side of the scale we've had complicated right ones
run $800 for just the surgery.  The ferrets which were most expensive have
run us between $1,500 to almost $3,000 over their final couple of years.
 
The best description I have heard was by the woman who talked about
treasuring her ferret and how the costs had added up to about $1 for each
year of that sweet furry's life, which she justly pointed out is a true
bargain.
 
Saving simply makes sense.
[Posted in FML issue 3103]