Randy, in relation to the majority % you are seeing with adrenal neoplasias
(if I am getting this right) -- how does that % compare to the percentage
of this same group in your general population?  The more individuals you
have in one group the more likely that the sick ones will also be from that
group, simply because there are fewer of the others.  The two percentages
need to be compared so that RATES are found.  That's where the info might
be once enough hard numbers are gotten.  Also, are these estimates or hard
numbers?  That is VERY important, essential actually.  Estimates often are
thrown off by people being so endowed in noticing patterns, so sometimes
patterns get over-emphasized or even created where they should not be.  It
is also especially important that estimated ages be separated from known
ages since the typical fluff in an age estimate apparently is about one
year +/-, a huge percentage of the life-span of a ferret.  Oh, and when did
you begin to see to early adrenals and has that rate increased since then?
Years ago people seemed mostly to see late ones.  Our early adrenal (first
one in 18 years) is a PV female (no tattoo but origin is firmly known,
having picked her up there ourselves along with handicapped Scooter whose
mom had partly eaten him) with symptoms of one at age 3 and 1/2 (surgery
postponed about 6 weeks for better visibility).
 
The reports here on the FML of early adrenals SEEM to be from multiple
sources and to have happened quite suddenly (over perhaps four or five
years only) -- a change which is not explained easily by some of the
traditional hypotheses, but MIGHT be by a viral component hypothesis.
Then again, that could be wrong.  It's not something which anyone actually
KNOWS.
 
Reports (especially ACTUAL STUDIES) from other nations in which adrenal
neoplasias are less common are possibly very important; the picture may not
be as befuddled or complex there, yet, with the lower rates (unless those
just reflect less recognition) so true patterns might be less likely to be
cluttered by extraneous aspects.
 
One thing that really SCARES me in general in ferret community is that
people don't fund actual studies because they are SURE that they have
answers -- often easy answers like blame shifting -- (even if those answers
turn out to be wrong) and they act upon or make an excuse to not act upon
other possibilities because of what they think MUST be right -- instead
of recognizing that some of the assumptions or precautions might be valid
while others may be completely incorrect.  The grain and the chaff need to
be winnowed apart, estimates need to be eliminated, bad sampling needs to
be controlled, actual rates need to be known and compared, and we need to
find the actual causal factors rather than once again shutting our eyes
because we "know" when we really don't know.  That happens too danged
often.  It discourages good, solid work by competent researchers with
strong backgrounds in the topics, and sometimes moves funds away from
those most likely to find actual answers.
 
It would be a joy for us to actually, really, truly KNOW some of these
things for a change.  That could only help ferrets.
 
I know some vets who WANTED to run such studies in the past, but the
funding wasn't there.  It won't be there, either, till people put their
wallets where their mouths are and fund such studies by research vets with
research knowledge.
 
Sorry to hear about your post-op infection, Randy.  Went through one once
myself long ago and came out fine long-term so hope you are just as lucky
as I was.  Scary as he!!, though, and the level of pain is incredible.  I
remember agony if cloth or hair even lightly brushed over the surface above
it (and I am someone who has been through entrapped nerves and a crunched
ovary) so am very sorry that you had to suffer your injuries, your heart
damage and surgery, and then that, too.  Glad you are tougher than any of
those things.
 
Thanks for the altering age info from Australia, Shirley.  Sam, what ages
do they tend to happen in N.Z.?  Among the many unknown things is why
there seems to be an increase in early adrenals neoplasias in the U.S.
while early neutering is not a new practise here.  Many possible
postulations exist, but actual answers (or even if the pattern itself is
actual) remain unknown...
[Posted in FML issue 3104]