Well, I'm posting this anonymously because I just don't have the psychological stamina for a bunch of flaming right now. I really hope that what I'm going to say is reasonably un-flameworthy, but it seems there are always one or two folks... Anyway, Sukie wrote: >I am a hardened old fart and it takes a LOT to make me cry, but when I >read in the Miami Ferret survey that 21% of the ferrets with suspected >adrenal growths are getting NO MEDICAL CARE I wept. These were responses >from people who cared enough about ferrets to reply. It's shocking; it's >something I am going to have to shut up on now because even a day later I >want to cry again for those poor individuals who could have been healed >and gone on to have full lives. Sukie, I've seen your name all over the place, and I know you know a lot about ferrets and the ferret community and have been here for a long time, which is why I'm kind of surprised you posted this. Surely you must know that there are a variety of reasons that a well cared-for ferret might not be receiving medical care for a suspected adrenal. For example, one of my babies, who I love with *all my heart* and consider my *child*, is currently not getting any medical care for her adrenal problem. She has a bad heart, and thus surgery is out of the question. Now, what are the other options? Lysodren -- somewhat expensive, according to my vet somewhat risky and often ineffective. Ovaban -- cheap but only useful for the swollen vulva, which she doesn't have, and can cause breast cancer! Pycnogenol -- homeopathic remedy which hasn't helped much and which she *despises* the taste of, no matter how I try to disguise it. Lupron -- a great drug that I really wish I could afford, but at $200/shot it is simply out of the question. I already have one ferret on the stuff, and since the compounding pharmacy does not accept payments (as our vet thankfully does), one ferret at a time is all we can swing, so we had to do a little "triage". (I don't want to get the whole debate started again about the morality of owning ferrets you can't afford to drop thousands of bucks apeice upon for health care, and besides that I have probably spent $6,000 in the past 4 years on just such vet care, so it isn't exactly the case that we're unwilling to spend.) The fact is, as much as it *does* distress me, there is nothing I can do for my sweet little baby's adrenal problem. Love can't cure everything, and yes, I have cried over it -- a lot. But for about the past 9 months she has had a balding tail and rump of varying severity. And quite frankly given her heart condition, being bald is the least of her worries. I'm sure there are many other fuzzies out there in similiar situations. Please don't be so quick to judge. It isn't always the case that no adrenal medical care = neglect, and I'm sure a good chunk of that 21% fall into categories like mine. However, if you have any suggestions I haven't considered, I am more than open to help. [MW] [Posted in FML issue 3145]