Ulcers: well, Pepto is iffy because although it coats it also really
stresses them (though the tabs stress less, I've been told).  What
works far better and stresses less is the liquid version of Carafate
and you could ask the vet to call a prescription in to the pharmacy
since pharmacies are more likely to have the liquid prep than most vet
hospitals.  Then it is the same stop you were going to make for an OTC
med but for a more effective and more accepted one that won't create
the dreaded pink spotted decor from stressing and head shaking.
 
Pam wrote:
>In case there is any confusion.  The sharp teeth that I described at 3
>weeks, are BABY teeth.  The tooth eruption schedule that Sukie posted,
>are permanent ADULT teeth.
 
Exactly correct!  Sorry about not writing more clearly!
 
Re: later sterilization: in studies a few months difference doesn't
appear to really matter for onset of adrenal disease; it's being
sterilized itself that counts usually but few months is in the noise for
age of onset it appears.  Saying and neutering, BTW, work in conjunction
with too much light exposure.  Basically, like fat and reproductive
tissue adrenal glands are hormone producers.  (They also are steroid
producers.) Now, when the ferret gets too little complete darkness the
pineal no longer produces as much melatonin.  That reduction in melatonin
production causes the pituitary to release hormones that normally would
say "Time to get busy." to the reproductive organs of the ferret, in
this case we are concerned with Luteinizing Hormone (LH).  In turn the
reproductive tissues can send back their own signals when complete which
say, "Mission Accomplished, so stop spamming us with so much hormonal
mail." The non-reproductive tissues which produce hormones can't send
those "shut up" signals back to the pituitary.  The result is not only
that they keep producing reproductive hormones but that despite it they
keep being spammed with LH.  Now, you get irritated if you get spammed
and if you are working your tail off and so do tissues.  They get
irritated, they get inflamed, sometimes they even develop growths.  Is it
definitely known that this is cause of at least some of these growths?
Technically, it is still hypothetical but so many of the parts have been
verified that it isn't very iffy, so consider it very likely to be what
happens for many.
 
This is why you want your ferrets to optimally have at least 14 hours of
complete darkness in each 24 hour period, why the old European practice
of having very dark places for the ferrets to go is wise, why you should
not appreciate those danged equipment lights, etc.  It is also why
melatonin is used not only for treatment but as a possible preventative.
(See http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/melatonin.htm ) and why a Spring
Lupron Depot shot is looking very promising in study for ending the
hormonal spam since it causes shut off of that signal.
 
Just so you know, 20 years ago both adrenal growths and insulinoma were
only very rarely reported in U.S.  ferrets.  Nor were there all sorts of
fancies around.  Now-a-days it is almost impossible to find ferrets who
don't have spots, or splotches, or blazes, or white heads.  One of the
genetic causes of such markings which is considered more likely than
Waardensburg is KIT, another neural crest variant.  KIT is an oncogene.
Oncogenes have the nasty feature of promoting growths.  Another genetic
variant which is associated with the neural crest (but I have not found
connections to specific markings for it though much of research into it
is pretty early) is MEN, which increases the risks for growths of the
adrenals, pancreas, and other endorcrinological or endocrinologically
related growth in humans.  There are two groups trying to get money to
study the prevalence of MEN vulnerability in ferrets because it meshes
so well with lists of most common growths in ferrets.
 
It may well be that breeding for fancy looks has made out ferrets more
vulnerable.  Although some fancy markings have been associated with
increased rates of certain medical problems certainly others have:
from non-bilateral patchwork ferrets with aortic problems, to the many
problems of those with neural crest variant markings, to skull and
nostril malformations too often seen in angoras, to achrondplasic
dwarfism and related medical concerns in ones bred for a combo of short
face and marvelous coat, and more...
 
BTW, just to set the record straight: MF is not one of the farms which
started the practice of selling very young kits.  That unpleasant title
goes elsewhere and then a number of stores began desiring kits who were
younger than 8 weeks old.  If you'd like to read of an excellent effort
to get back to older (8 week) sale and shipment ages go to
http://www.ferretcongress.org and select the section about the work of
Sandra Kudrak, DVM and her vet team working in conjunction with members
of the USDA.
[Posted in FML issue 4663]