>Deborah W. Kemmerer, DVM:
>I believe the fact that we tend to keep our ferrets in incandescent lighting
>rather than natural sunlight or fluourescent light may be an important
>factor.  We know photoperiod has an effect on the entire endocrine system.
>I think it's worth investigating.
 
Just curious,
 
I know that some people have had success in the states using natural
photoperiods (or lights or drugs that mimic them) to cover up the symptoms
of adrenal disease in ferrets, but that this is not supposed to have any
affect on tumor size.  Is it possible that ferrets always kept on natural
lighting might get adrenal tumors just as often as other fuzzies, but that
the symptoms that get us to run to our vets never become apparent?  If this
is possible, would enlarged glands still be evident on autopsy?  (Although
w/o other symptoms, most owners I assume would chalk the death up to "old
age" and wouldn't preform an autopsy anyway).
 
-Val (and Gromit and Gimpy and, hopefully soon, Carret)
[Posted in FML issue 2211]