Let's also not forget that IBD-to-lymphoma may not be a cause-and-effect relationship at all. It may be that ferrets who are genetically predisposed to developing IBD are also predisposed to developing lymphoma. Or it may be purely environmental and not genetic at all. There are lots of possibilities. But until the link is *proven*, that's all they are - possibilities. On the practical side, hypothesis or proof means nothing anyway. You don't put an IBD ferret to sleep because he's one day going to develop lymphoma too. No, you just watch his health like always, and if a disease appears, you deal with it. Proving such a link may help researchers develop a cure in the future, but for now it means nothing to us as caretakers. And yes, as Minta mentioned, there has also been a hypothesis proposed that ferrets who have had ECE run a greater risk of developing IBD. But it's important to remember that that link has not been proven, either. roger & the wolverine wannabees missing bear [Posted in FML issue 4087]