In a message dated 11/30/97 6:42:12 AM, [log in to unmask]
wrote:
 
>Since nobody has evidence to the contrary it is a mathematical certainty
>that the total number of pet store (read Marshall Farms) ferrets in the
>USA to have cancer is more than 126,000 (90 percent of >140,000 ferrets).
 
I hate it when people take what I said and turn it around into meaningless
dribble....
 
Mr. Lipinski's figures left out the important FACT that I reported a 10%
adrenal rate at my shelter, of those 15 adrenal ferrets, 90% (13 of them)
were Marshall Farms.  The correct math says that:
 
150 ferrets, 90 are from Marshall Farms (60%) and the remaining 40 are from
Path Valley, Manitoba, etc., and home growns.  Of the MF ferrets, 13 have
adrenals (14% rate) and of the other sources, 2 have adrenals (3% rate).
 
So, if you want to do the math, do it correctly:
 
Farms are outputting 140,000 ferrets annually - the last figure I had on MF
was close to 78,000 ferrets produced annually, which would mean 10,920 MF
(14% of 78,000) ferrets are predicted to have adrenal issues.  Add to this
if you wish, the remaining 1860 adrenal cases from 62,000 ferrets (non-MF
pet shop sources times 3%).  This gives you a total of 12,780 ferrets with
adrenal disease annually based upon one shelters adrenal rates.  Simply not
the same as the 126,000 Mr. Lipinski says.
 
>This report is not designed as an attack on Marshall Farms.  It is an
>attack on ignorance.  Mine, as well as yours.  Several months ago, Edward
>Lipinski cited the figure of 70 percent of MFs will develop cancer within
>the first four years of life.  Golly, looks like you were wrong!  The
>actual figure is closer to 90 percent rather than 70 percent.
 
Yes, Mr. Lipinski, you are creating panic over nothing with your ignorance.
The purpose of MY figures, and the gathering of such numbers annually
through the STAR* survey, is to keep track of trends which may or may not be
proven with science.  I still stand by my original belief that adrenalism is
caused by a genetic backfire, and that MF has this genetic trait firmly
ingrained in their breeding stock.  I also believe that it can be bred out
and that if MF would just add new lines more often to their stock, they
could bring their adrenal cases down from 14%.
 
I presently have two ferrets with adrenal disease at my house that are
personal pets.  One came from JBF, a private breeder, and the other came
from Parsons, a mink and ferret farm.  Both ferrets are over 6 years old.
My experience with MF ferrets has shown that they can develop adrenal
disease as early as 2 years of age.  I choose not to own a MF ferret again,
but the last one I did have as a pet lived to 7 years, and died of
Lymphoscarcoma.  I've seen more lympho in privately bred ferrets than in pet
shop ferrets (I prefer the terms pet shop ferrets and home grown ferrets as
a distinction of categories).
 
To lighten the load of "cancer" and dislike for MF ferrets, they are the
best behaved pet shop ferrets out there.  86% of them will NOT have adrenal
problems.  The make wonderful pets, and though I prefer homegrowns for
myself, I usually get MF ferrets into my shelter and they need to be placed.
I would prefer that pet shops NOT SELL ANIMALS, and that all people looking
for a pet must visit a shelter or private breeder.  But until that day
comes, if there are to be ferrets in the pet shops, I want to see them
neutered and well mannered.
 
Pamela Troutman Grant / STAR*
[Posted in FML issue 2141]