Bob C wrote:
>In short, they are diseases that, if present, would have been recognized
>and described.  Arguments that early vets lacked the ability to recognize
>them are, well, obtuse.
 
Hi Bob- I am enjoying your posts as of late but here MY EXPERIENCES make
me disagree.
 
In the shelter I took in a 5 1/2 year old BALD ferret- it had been BALD
for 2 1/2 years and was attributed to fleas and flea allergy by 2 vets
( 1 in NH, one in MA).  This intake was in 1999 - not that long ago.
 
Since then I have had other illnesses mis-diagnosed by ferret savvy
vets - and I know many vet with regard to occurrences of illness -
treatments are just not able to document reports due to a lack of time.
 
Insulinoma ( symptoms) is an easy one for ferret savvy owners to be
alerted to - and usually a BG check is not a problem with vets.
 
However over and over and over - we get contacted by adrenal ferret
owners who have been told the cause is everything form fleas, to
nutrition to alopecia (no kidding) with VERY few recommendations for
adrenal surgery or treatment.
 
It is the end of 2002 and CLEARLY the vet schooling requirements need
to be changed.  Vets need to be able to distinguish and treat this
malady (illness) in ferrets.  REGARDLESS as to whether diet induced ( I
personally disagree here) or early spay / hormonal attributed ( I fully
agree here) no matter what the cause is, there is a time to focus on the
Vet school minimum requirements and this CLEARLY is one which needs to be
addressed NOW!
 
ALicia
[Posted in FML issue 3968]