With the vulva up operate ASAP.
 
Melatonin replaces fur by a different physiological pathway than
controlling adrenal growths so the degree of fur growth does NOT
reflect the level of control of the growths.  You can find info on this
in the FML Archives or the FHL ones.  There was a fur industry and wool
industry study (in NZ if memory serves) which found that pathway.
 
Also:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?CMD=search&DB=pubmed
> J Histochem Cytochem. 1996 Apr;44(4):377-87.
> Transforming growth factor-alpha immunoreactivity during induced
> hair follicle growth cycles in sheep and ferrets.
>
> Nixon AJ, Broad L, Saywell DP, Pearson AJ.
> AgResearch, Ruakura Research Centre, Hamilton, New Zealand.
>
>Transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) has been associated with
>cell proliferation of keratinocytes and implicated in hair growth.  We
>therefore examined changes in the immunocytochemical localization of
>TGF-alpha and cell proliferation markers in the skin of two unrelated
>species in which hair cycles could be induced, to elucidate the role of
>this growth factor in the control of fiber growth.  Skin was collected
>from melatonin-treated ferrets (Mustela putorius furo), untreated
>Romney sheep (Ovis aries), and New Zealand Wiltshire sheep in which
>interruption of wool growth had been photoperiodically induced.
>Immunostaining patterns were very similar in ferrets and sheep.
>TGF-alpha immunoreactivity was observed in epithelial tissues of the
>skin but was not co-localized with cell proliferation markers.  In
>anagen follicles, specific staining was most intense in the innermost
>cells of the outer root sheath and cortical cells in the keratogenous
>zone but was absent from inner root sheath or dermal papilla.  TGF-alpha
>immunostaining diminished during catagen, although faint staining was
>retained in all epithelial cells.  In telogen and early proanagen
>follicles, staining remained faint or was restricted to cells on the
>margin of the brush end and follicle neck.  Immunoreactivity in the
>outer root sheath was reestablished in late proanagen.  Sebaceous glands
>and epidermis were stained intensely throughout the hair cycle.  TGF-
>alpha-immunoreactive components of skin extracts, analyzed by Western
>blotting, showed mobility corresponding to approximately 32 KD, but not
>to the size of the fully cleaved peptide.  These results are consistent
>with an epithelial autocrine or juxtacrine, but not a mitogenic,
>function of TGF-alpha.
 
Yes, it is true that fish oil or fish add to the stink of ferret waste
BUT the high levels of Omega 3 Fatty Acids in those products is very good
for several aspects of health, especially for the kidneys.  (That is not
to say that ferrets should have a lot of fish because too much of certain
marine fish or marine mollusks can cause nutritional steatis, but having
some in the diet can be useful.  If people provide a diet with no fish
but want to add Omega 3 Fatty Acids then get Flax Seed Oil but remember
to keep it in the refrigerator since it breaks down too rapidly
otherwise.  (Vet info on this available in archives.)
 
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG15335
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG14864
>Hi Sukie,
>You referenced an article from Dr Scott Brown, VMD, PhD, ACVIM from
>the University of Georgia.  He has written many on this topic.  Yes,
>the fish oils have the omega 3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) that help to
>reduce inflammation.  In the kidneys, fish oils lower the amount of
>the eicosanoids (prostaglandin E2 and thromboxane A2), which reduces
>glomerular pressure and slows the progression of chronic kidney
>disease.  Omega 6 fatty acids (vegetable oils) increase the production
>of the eicosanoids, increase glomerular hypertension, and speed up the
>progression to end-stage kidney failure (death).  That is one of the
>reasons Iams/Eukanuba kitten, Totally Ferret, and Marshall's ferret
>food all have fish oil in them.
>
>Hope that helps,
>Jerry Murray, DVM
 
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG10399
and more in the archives, too
 
-- Sukie (not a vet, and not speaking for any of the below in my
private posts)
Recommended health resources to help ferrets and the people who love
them:
Ferret Health List
http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
FHL Archives
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
AFIP Ferret Pathology
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
Miamiferrets
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
International Ferret Congress Critical References
http://www.ferretcongress.org
[Posted in FML issue 5312]