Well, one thing about ferrets; Except for the Ferret Liberation
Organization they don't read the text books, journals, or anyone's posts.
 
So, they don't necessarily behave like other species (and they don't
all behave like each other within their species, either).  They do at
times go into wasting with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, they do get a
hyperestrogenic syndrome when they get adrenal growths virtually always
of getting Cushings, they get insulinoma usually instead of the normally
seen diabetes, their mast cell tumors are virtually always benign instead
of being so often malignant like in other species, they are very much not
prone to the vast majority of side effects of Pred, their mammary tumor
rates differ a lot -- even from those of BBFs, etc.  Yep, ferrets dance
to their own drummer, and if that drummer is beating on a defeated
barrier then so much better.
 
So, I will once again say that the new research project is an opportunity
for all of us, and I don't see any good reason for anyone to feel
otherwise.  For those who do run into cystine stones having your vet know
about this can not only help increase the data base and therefore help
other ferrets (maybe some later members of your own family) but it also
can get info from experts for your vet.  Meanwhile for all of us it will
find in which ways cystine stones in ferrets are like -- and unlike --
cystine stones in other species.  Is there at least one genetic precursor
in them or not?  (This is recognized as a strong possibility by multiple
expert vet though it needs to be proven because it doesn't seem to
necessarily be universal.) If so, which of the genetic varients?  More
than one?  Why was there a sudden large increase in the numbers of
cystine stones seen over the last year by that one lab?  A quirk?  (Those
do happen.) A reflection upon a certain genetic line?  A reflection upon
a certain specific food or food ingredient category?  (This has been
postulated -- for both, actually -- by different vets.) A reflection
upon levels of protein?  (Also postulated by some very well informed
vets.) Only time and good work will tell, but once they do then no matter
what they show we will all have some actual facts on which to base our
decisions instead of postulations from too little ferret data or from
other species whose nuances may not apply (or may, or may in part,
depending on what is learned).  Since I can't read the future and there
are such large gaps in the data base I can't argue any one side well
enough to be reliable -- anymore than anyone else can in this case, so it
seems silly to go in circles.
 
Words won't settle something when the database looks like swiss cheese;
only research will.
 
Meanwhile, Hilbert and Mornie -- and the ferrets of others -- don't read
the posts.  They behave more according to the statement of the late,
great Richard Feynman who wrote, "It doesn't matter how beautiful your
theory is, it doesn't matter how smart you are.  If it doesn't agree with
experiment, it's wrong." (Feynman also captured the essence of why people
do science when you generalize this to science: "Physics is like sex:
sure, it may give some practical results, but that's not why we do it."
There is a lot to be said both for desiring the pursuit of more data to
base one's choices upon, and for simply being curious.) So, we have to
pay attention to what their bodies DO (the experiment part of the quote)
rather than any of the words about what they might do or might not do
(the theory part of the quote).  When those ferrets (or some of them)
again develop -- or continue to fail to develop -- any more stones on
their current diet, just know that they don't read the posts.  What looks
good on paper is not necessarily how their bodies will behave.  They and
their bodies do what they choose to do, and to best help them we need to
better understand them.  That is the only thing which will actually work.
 
Here is the group doing the study.  Just quietly get the data to your
vet.  If all FML members do so they will have taken a loving step in case
they or someone else who uses their vet needs the info.  Hopefully, you
will never have a ferret with stones of any kind; we didn't for almost
all of the time we've had ferrets.  If our experience is any indication
most ferrets won't have things like stones, OR insulinoma, OR
cardiomyopathy, OR adrenal growths even.  (No, these are not related in
this statement except by NOT being among the majority by any means here,
though the latter two are more common here than the first two in our own
family.) There is nothing wrong with making sure that good research
happens and that good data is eventually out there to help everyone.
 
So, for your vets' files here is the contact info for the study
coordinator:
Dr. Michelle Hawkins VMD DABVP (Avian)
2108 Tupper Hall, University of CA, Davis, CA 95616
1-530-752-1363 (phone)
[log in to unmask]
 
Anyway, I figured that in case the discussion distracted people from the
thing that matters for practical results: getting this research done to
help all of our ferrets and all of us, I'd better post this.
[Posted in FML issue 4791]