Deslorelin (Suprelorin) is also a treatment (and possibly preventative option) and there are -- let's see, I think it is currently 4 studies in publication -- and others in progress including a very large one. This medication is not available in the U.S. yet, BUT the manufacturing company last year applied for permission to sell (and possibly also manufacture it since a property was being considered according to some news reports) it in the U.S. This med is a similar compound to Lupron, but cheaper and it can be given in forms that last for more months than Lupron. It has been and is in study in the U.S. as well as elsewhere. Suprelorin is used for ferrets with adrenal disease in Australia (where the manufacturer is based), Europe (at least a number of countries), and South America so far. Whether it will be as good as Lupron depot is to be seen, but it might be. Lupron works well and using it in conjunction with melatonin is even better. Some people use only melatonin and that certainly is a lot better than nothing at all, but it is better to use it with Lupron. I do not know if Suprelorin and melatonin together has yet been tested. Miamiferret will certainly have detailed info on it once it is okayed for sale here (if economic protestations don't stop that) and maybe before that. Here are some HIGHLY RECOMMENDED articles at that site: http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/basics.htm http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/adrenal.htm http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/melatonin.htm http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/24hr_lupron.htm Lysodren, meanwhile, has virtually disappeared from this use since it was so variable, sometimes not working while other times causing so much adrenal atrophy that Addisons Crises occurred. Personal experiences with tail blackheads and rattail vary. Some people have virtually always had such ferrets turn out to have underlying adrenal disease. Others, including us, have also had multiple ferrets who never developed adrenal disease but appeared to just have a dermal condition. It is not an obvious call... Re: Florida law: Katherine wrote: >Actually the new law says the duration is to be according to the >manufacturer's directions. For dogs and cats, that's 3 years. For >ferrets, that's 1 year. That is safer for ferrets than a legal challenge of a ferret who has gone longer without. Thanks for finding the legislation, Katherine. Now, if the ferret community could get up the funds and get vaccine researchers interested to test vaccines to see if longer amounts of time between vaccinations would be possible with the vaccines still being effective that would be wonderful... -- Sukie (not a vet) Ferret Health List co-moderator http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth FHL Archives fan http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ replacing http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org International Ferret Congress advisor http://www.ferretcongress.org [Posted in FML issue 5114]