Part of a topic (the folks talking about possibly putting down a ferret in
need of rehab) really upset me so I apologize for my reply being so poorly
written yesterday, but I was pushing a lot of emotion down to do it and as
a result was not at all clear in what I said.  Thought you'd like to know
that I privately passed on contact info for them so the ferret could be
moved out of state to a safe shelter if in California.  Rehab is an
option; death is not an option but an end.
 
 ----
 
NO list is a replacement for going to a vet when a health questions
arises.  If you have a health question then make an appointment, and do
what testing is needed.  Sometimes too little data exists to answer, or
sometimes folks get on list somewhere when rapid care is important to
prevent a handicap or save a life.  Lists are important for learning and
for getting leads -- VERY IMPORTANT -- but they can never replace vet
care.
 
 ----
 
>I noticed about 10 days ago that she had a swollen vulva with purulent
>discharge.
 
If this does not clear up with antibiotics or returns after such
treatment, then, YES, surgery is the only option because each of the
possible causes (adrenal neoplasia, uterine stump, or ovarian fragment)
require surgical correction to stop.  Vet is right, as I suspect you
knew.  Sometimes it takes a bit of time to emotionally prepare for
surgery.  That's okay.
 
 ----
 
>I wanted to make an indepth page of WS for those very interested in the
>technical aspects of the genetics side of it all.  A few people graciously
>offered help.  But as I learned more and more about it, the more questions
>I had.  I felt like I was in over my head in an area that has not even
>been touched by research using ferrets.  So I abandoned the idea.
 
That is logical.  After all, we do not at this stage even know if it is
WS or is a totally different pigment deprivation situation which very
possibly also is a neural crest disorder.  Besides, so many of the things
that are "out there" as classic symptoms have NOT been connected to WS
in any research I've seen so far, so some of those may be right for an
non-WS genetic disorder, or may be right for a ferret-variant of WS, or
may be just coincidences.
 
DO go use the search engine at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Ferret-Health-list/
and look for the posts on this  by geneticist, Dr. Brett Middleton.
[Posted in FML issue 3802]