Q: "Do you think adrenal disease may be more closely related to the type of
process than results in breast cancer than the possible reasons you listed?"
 
A: If you mean just another type of tumor or cancer?  Maybe so, but keep in
mind that many (if not most) human cancers have multiple causes, such as
genetics and environmental triggers.  Some even have viral triggers.  So I
can accept the statement in the broad sense, but reserve judgment in the
narrow sense.
 
Q: "Do you know....of a type of experiment that could prove one way or
another if [MF] ferrets had more adrenal disease than other ferrets?
 
A: Sure.  Get 300 unneutered kits from MF and 300 from randomly selected
private breeders.  House each kit identically, feed the same food, allow to
socialize with people identically.  Early neuter 100 from both groups (4
weeks), middle neuter 100 from both groups (6 months) and late neuter 100
from both groups (1 year).  Raise them in identical conditions until they
all die; about 8-10 years.  Count up the number that had adrenal disease.
You would then know just about for sure, but first you need the 600 baby
ferrets, the space to care for them, the money to feed them, vets to care
for them, and the people to help you do the experiment.  I'll run the
experiment if someone will get me the grant.
 
Q: "I wasn't lost because of your writing, but the long time between posts
hurt my understanding of what you were talking about...."
 
A: Yeah, I've heard this from several people now.  In the case of the
adrenal posts, they were long, but there was quite a bit of stuff to cover.
This type of post is rare, even for my particular style of long-windedness.
Also, you have to remember the MF debate and the ferret biting incident
took place at the same time--both important issues-- which made Bill's job
all the harder.  I have no complaints, and suggest you print out those
particular posts for ease of bathroom reading.
 
Q: "Have you read anything relating Post-traumatic stress syndrome to
adrenal disease?"
 
A: There is a lot of information on this in humans, but I'm not sure of any
study done in ferrets.  I've read that, in humans, those subjected to long
term stress will have elevated stress indicators for a long period of time,
even after the stress is removed, including elevated adrenal hormones.
However, each species has an unique evolutionary history resulting in a
unique physiology, so just because it occurs in one species is not
necessarily proof it occurs in other species.  Some drugs which have no
side effects in animals are dangerous in humans.
 
However, there are more more similarities in physiology than differences,
and I would suspect there might be some sort of relatedness between the two.
Ferrets are energetic, have metabolisms on afterburner, and have a strong
sense territory toward strangers.  In essence, they are fairly easy to
stress.  While suspecting a correlation isn't proof, if I were actively
looking into the causes of the disease, this would be one of the first
places I would check.
 
Q: "How many references did you consult for this adrenal posts and can you
download them for me?"
 
A: I managed to beg, borrow, photocopy, or buy a total of 18 MA/MSc/PhD
Theses/Dissertations, 36 books, 6 edited books, and 97 journal articles.
In addition, I was able to consult an additional 21 paper abstracts, where
the original was in a foriegn language or unavailable.  The cost to me was
in excess of $330 for the mailing costs, photocopies, and purchased books.
Quite honestly, if I were to do an experiment or two, I could easily turn
this in for a master's degree.  Of course, it would even be *longer* and
more involved.
 
This represents a tremendous effort on my part to collect, collate, and just
type in the references, which I haven't had time to do as of yet.  So I will
make specific references available, but as for the sum total, they are in a
pile beside my desk, which makes them hard to download.
 
Also, in most cases, having the entire list of references is unnecessary
unless you want to do academic research in this area.  If that is the case,
I have two objections.  First, researching a subject is part of the learning
process which shapes your personal work, and second, I plan on using the
references for some work of my own which means you'll just have to wait and
cite me.
 
Still a few more,
 
Bob C and 20 MO Poopmeisters
[Posted in FML issue 2237]