Very briefly, my inquiries into adrenal disease in Australia has shown the following: Adrenal disease has been present in ferrets in New South Wales and South Australia for "many" years (given that they have only become popular as pets, as opposed to disposable working animals in Australia over the last 12-15 years, this could mean it has always been present). It does appear that the disease is being diagnosed and treated because of growing knowledge rather than an increase in numbers and it is still considered to be a rare disease. While South Australian ferret owners report an increase in the number of cases there, only the next few years will tell if this is so. I am still waiting for some vets and clubs from interstate to get back to me so I don't have any numbers to quote at this stage so this post can only be considered as anecdotal but I think that from now on I will mainly concentrate how, or if, the story progresses here in Western Australia. If the disease does increase here, it could be a rare opportunity to study its spread. We have our first two diagnosed cases of adrenal disease here in Western Australia and now begins the search for a vet who feels confident and knowledgeable enough to perform the surgery. Patches is a 7 year old little girl who, apart from major hair loss, is in very good health On behalf of Patches' owner, may I ask any FMLers whose ferret has had successful adrenal surgery, if they really had a significant number of quality years added to their ferret's life. From many of the posts, it seems that only 2 more years are being gained before the ferret dies of another disease (usually lymphosarcoma). Have I got a skewed picture here? Keep in mind that by our standards, at 7 years old, Patches is in her prime of life and is not considered elderly. Thank you in advance for any hopeful info. Love & Dooks Shirley [Posted in FML issue 3396]