ONLY 29 days till the 20th anniversary of the FML on 12/20/07! What are YOU doing to help ferrets in celebration? Certainly, the SOS can always use help as can individual shelters, and the ELF Fund and FERRET fund (emergency response) of the IFC. A friend (not sure if I can say who) was talking w me about studies that may be able to use help. Honestly, w Dad so ill (though he turned the corner enough that he is expected to make it now) I am NOT playing w a fully rested "deck" but maybe one or more of these will appeal to people who want to help ferrets: There are two studies looking at Canine Distemper Titers in ferrets. That is the first step toward knowing how many fewer vaccines can be given while still having protection. Dr. Robert Wagner at Pitt has been looking at that, and the larger study is one that involves a Canine Distemper expert in Cornell as well as the study originator, Dr. Ruth Heller and you can read about that here: http://www.ferret.org/news/07-april-titer_study.shtm The next step after the one collecting titer numbers will be a small challenge study to see how similar the titers for canine distemper vaccines are in ferrets compared to dogs and that will tell the last piece of the puzzle. Certainly, Dr. Matti Kiupel tends to often have some sort of ferret pathology study going on at Michigan State, too. Currently, they are close to publication for an article on the FIP presentation coronavirus in ferrets. Dr. Bob Wagner is also doing a set of on-going adrenal studies and he might be continuing his work on p53 genetic variants which could reduce the ability to fight neoplasias, and I think that Dr. Karen Rosenthal of U. Penn. might have a study coming on line but am not sure. I think that Dr. Michelle Hawkins of UC Davis will be continuing the studies into genetic vulnerabilities for endocrinological disorders in ferrets though I think the MEN (Multiple Endocrinological Neoplasia) phase is done, and the one into cystine stones may be continuing or may be winding up. There might be some others in the back of my head that I am just not twigging on, and highly probably others I don't know a thing about. Still, this info might help people help ferrets! Sukie (not a vet) Recommended ferret health links: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/ http://ferrethealth.org/archive/ http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/ http://www.ferretcongress.org/ http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html [Posted in FML 5797]