>Just my 2 cents worth here. It was mentioned in the last FML that >excessive thirst was NOT a symptom of adrenal disease. It may not be a >"typical symptom", but I know there are cases in which it is a symptom. >One of my babies, Pooh, has had problems with adrenal disease a number >of times, first the right adrenal, then the left, then later the right >one "grew back". Each and every time his adrenal disease came back, >he would drink lots and lots of water, and of course urinate massive >amounts, (the 2 do sort of go together). Interesting. Yes, some do get unusual symptoms. In the case of our Seven of Six each time she had it she would pin down our youngest ferret and urinate on his head and shoulders repeatedly. Definitely out of the norm for ferrets in general as an adrenal growth symptom but perfectly normal for her and maybe for some few others. One reason for my mentioning the diabetes connection (since drinking a lot is quite typical with diabetes and some other things) is that this is a ferret who has had on and off pancreatic symptoms before. It is possible that the ferret has something else involving the pancreas -- other than insulinoma which was checked for before -- which is causing blood glucose swings. My inclination (as a non-vet) would be to ask the vet about having the ferret stay in the hospital and have several blood tests under different times and conditions with in-house readings. It might not hurt to do a blood insulin level test, either, and to consider other tests. BTW, ferret blood is big at gobbling up sugar if it sits around so sent-out readings read lower than in-house and the longer it takes the lower they read. Mary, while I agree that it is good to be cautious, there is not evidence that petroleum jelly is dangerous so I have to disagree with the contention that it must be dangerous by definition. Yes, it would be good to have more information specifically in relation to ferrets (true for so many, many things), but definitive statements don't seem warranted. Cremation: there isn't much ash. As has been said earlier by many if it is ground finely there will be "sand" of ground bone, it not then there will be bone pieces. Our's charged us something like $80 to cremate two who died close to each other together. They came back to us in the little tiny plastic bag (about the size of a small mouse) in a lovely wooden box with ornate brass clasps. This crematorium didn't grind so there were bone pieces which didn't bother us since we already knew about cremains. When Asling died years later we buried Scooter and Sevie's ashes with her because those three were always linked. We've put the box to other use and looking at it brings back happy memories of all three. I think it is good that this topic is being discussed; that way people know that there are cremains and won't be shocked encountering them in their crematorium doesn't grind or doesn't grind much. I don't know about the current grinding machines, but I've heard long ago of some places not being inclined toward grinding for humans because they increase the chance of having a very little of another mixed in, though I suspect that there is always a very tiny bit of that for animals (and maybe for humans, given the chimneys and things on the sides), anyway, given the rising and settling during combustion. I don't personally think that either -- grinding or not grinding -- is wrong, just different. It would be good if crematoria which haven't done so have a little sheet which people can read beforehand to know what to expect since the popular media version which might be expected has about as much relationship to reality as their depictions of computers' abilities, "typical" homes, "typical" clothing, "typical' appearances, etc. [Posted in FML issue 4486]