I wanted to address something that has my head shaking in utter belief... and I think it warrants a warning to all ferret owners out there who may encounter an Adrenal Disease Shaman... This shaman professes to hold special abilities that allow them to "know" a ferret is adrenal. They feel the ferret... smell the ferret... look at the ferret... and then judge it to be adrenal. Although they profess that they are not a vet, they do in fact state that they have the uncanny ability to spot adrenal disease months in advance, and catch things that a highly trained ferret knowledgeable vet would miss. I urge anyone who runs into one of these ferret AD Shamans to consider the following information before relying on the advice of a person who clearly states that they are not a vet... 1. A great many ferrets who have turned out to be adrenal have been found to exude a particular "stinky pit" odor. But this alone does not constitute adrenal disease diagnosis. Some ferrets who are adrenal do not have this stinky smell upon them, and a stinky smell could mean something else. 2. Hair loss is not a definitive sign of adrenal disease itself and could be the result of some other underlying ailment or external parasite. Some ferrets have the disease and show no hair loss what so ever. 3. Coarse hair is not a definitive sign of adrenal disease itself and could be the result of stress, poor nutrition, breeding and so on. Some ferrets have coarse fur all of their lives. 4. Although an experienced ferret knowledgeable vet can at times palpate an enlarged adrenal gland, there are other organs and tissues in the same area that an inexperienced, non-vet person, could mistake for an enlarged adrenal gland. 5. Anyone can make the same diagnosis and come up with the same odds as a person who claims to have special gifts or talents in this area, because adrenal disease is the most common of any of the diseases that ferrets will ever get. If you were to take all the ferrets in one area and put them into a room, randomly pick one, your chances of being right are as high as 50%! Do the same with a flip of a coin and you could be just as right! 6. Your vet does not spend 24/7 with your pet. You know it best. You are the best person to judge changes in behaviour, to give info on changes in diet, etc. Always give your vet the most amount of information you can in order to help make a proper diagnosis. Be wary of those that say they possess these special gifts, especially if they say they catch things sooner that a ferret knowledgeable vet has missed. They have a 50% chance of being right, but how are you going to feel if you spend the money on a surgery only to find out they were wrong? Don't be fooled... trust in those that have the true experience and have the credentials to prove it. betty and her blur o'fur for the love of ferrets missing Spaz, our Naked Mole Man... [Posted in FML issue 4029]