Waardensburg Syndrome is a neural crest genetic disorder which passes along lines through at least three different possible routes, with three that are known and documented. It's a very ancient genetic variant which affects many animals other than ferrets, and it is possible for an individual to have more than one type of WS genetic alteration simultaneously according to Leigh who is a geneticist (unless I read her wrong). Basically, it affects the functions of some early fetal cells that develop into multiple other cells. Expression is variable. Pigment of the head is one thing that can be affected (panda head, blaze head stripe -- either life-long, possibly some of the DEW whites). Hearing is another. There are studies linking it to intestinal problems. There is some incidental evidence that it MIGHT lead to reduced longevity. No one knows and the numbers haven't been done. One problem that has been arising is that there seems to be a tendency to lump too many things in the Waardensburg basket before knowing if they really belong there. This is not to say that I think that these individuals should be bred. I don't. I have heard of way too many WS ferrets with early deaths and only of a few with normal lifespans, I know how hard it is for a ferret to cope with intestinal problems through a long patch of life and would not want to see increases of such woes, I know how many deaf ones wind up abused. It's a terrible thing that this disorder was bred FOR selectively for the sake of a LOOK, whether for esthetics or money, and sad that the band-wagon was jumped upon by breeders of all sizes. Multiple show organizations are now seeking fair ways to discourage unsafe breeding practises. Far too few breeders of any size, anywhere, actually follow lines, collecting health and longevity data, and culling lines when those are bad. Improving such practises is one of the next logical steps toward helping ferrets. Such records would also spot out lines with increased longevity and better than normal health, but pains must be taken to follow all animals, including those "petted out". have spoken with a number of people in multiple groups about this. Without fail, we don't want to be like horse, dog and cat enthusiasts who in so many cases decreased the health with their breeding; we want to improve the ferrets' lives, too, or at the very least not harm them. It's a matter of people doing the ground-work first, now, and tracking lines carefully for a number of years. The best way to understand WS is going to be to find Leigh Whittaker's 9Sp?) past posts in FML back-issues, and in those of the Ferret Genetics List <[log in to unmask]>. [Posted in FML issue 3247]