Did you catch the IFC post yesterday about the research funding? Most of you know I am quite the fan of Des implants and Doc Wagner's work. The Des Implant study is on going, the GnRH vaccine study is also ongoing, (a vaccine is for the prevention and treatment of ACD.) He completed his Canine Distemper Virus vaccine titer study. (Ferrets do not appear to need to be vaccinated against CDV yearly.) Doc Wagner has three more projects he is working on or gearing up to work on for ferrets that need funding. They include; further test development for hypothyroid testing in ferrets (apparently there are too many fat ferrets out there), Evaluating Thymidine Kinase (TK) activity in ferrets with known lymphosarcoma (LSA) with different types or clinical stages and compare to known healthy ferrets, and more work on insulinoma. Arginine Stiumation testing with a given protocol which should be useful in confirming a diagnosis of Insulinoma in ferrets. Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) implants are expensive but would be an excellent method of testing ferret's to determine glucose curves in insulinomic and normal ferrets. Has your ferret benefited from any of this work? The Des implant perhaps? I will match donations made to the IFC designated to Dr. Wagner over the next two weeks (4/21/2011), up to $100.00 dollars. I have invested in 16 implants for my private ferrets from Septemebr 2008 to date. Our success rate has been phenomenal and the money saved significant. It would take only twenty people to donate $5.00, or ten people to donate $10.00, or four people to donate $25.00. Your $100 plus my $100 is $200 with the IFC matching this we now have $400.00 for this research. Here is the info to send your donation from Sharon's post of 04/05/2011. Feel free to cross post this challenge: You may write your check and designate it for the vet of your choice or split the amount between the two. The IFC will match donations collected up to a total of $1500! Please make checks payable to the International Ferret Congress (IFC) and mail to: Sharon Bearden, IFC 1245 Curtis Switch Rd Mineral Bluff, GA 30559 Or you can use Paypal and pay to [log in to unmask] Please note how you would like your donation to be applied. Also, please include how you would like your listing on the donors' page to appear. You can have either your name, a family member or friend listed, or the name of a beloved furkid or human listed as a memorial to him or her. Although donations will be accepted until May 30, the deadline to receive a listing in the program is April 30. Thank you and please email me with any questions, Sharon Bearden, IFC Fundraising Coordinator [log in to unmask] The IFC is an 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. Donation receipts will be issued and your donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Feed rescued animals in two clicks http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=3 [Posted in FML 7026]