My brother in law had a little Panda female (this was at least 16 or so years ago when he first got her) There were no "real" ferret vets around and ferrets were illegal in this state. Anyway he got her whole and had her fixed before she came into heat. He fed her Iams kitten food along with fruit loops cereal as a treat every single day! She also had a very dark wooden box she stayed in with a small fan for her cage, with wire on top, which he hand made. He had offered this cage to us and we said no and let me tell you, I am kicking myself in the arse for not taking it. Anyway his little girl had a bath every single day of her life and was healthy, I am not sure if he gave her shots, will have to ask him about that one. He took her for walks in the park etc. Anyway, his little girl Sarah, lived to be 11 years old!!! I honestly think that their health really has nothing to do with the food we give them, but I believe it is in their genes and how they are now so overbred. I buy the best ferret foods I can get as well as make them chicken gravy once a week which they get 2x daily and they get no real treats except for cheweasels and an occassionald foamy fry or chicken stix, ferretone and vivify. My two newer guys get cooked chicken at night. They only get good filtered clean spring water in glass bottles as well as in their chicken soup. So, my kids should be super healthy. We have a amber colored light in their room and they do not get a lot of light except for daylight. I still have adrenal disease and insolinoma in about 5 of my kids out of 13! Yes the 5 are older (over 4 years of age). I think maybe a study on genes should be done to see if this is the cause for the insolinomas and adrenal disease. Just my 2 cents. Eleanor, Donald and the 13 ferrets [Posted in FML 6924]