Answers to the adrenal question are starting to trickle in...please keep them coming! More data = more knowledge = more power in decisions! Q: "My vet says my ferret has spondalosing deformits. What is this and what can I do about it. She says nothing can be done." A: If nothing can be done then I'm the one to do it. The problem is called Spondylosis Deformans, which is quite common in older mammals, especially dogs, cattle and raccoons. I've noticed it in skeletons more than 2000 years old, and in a wide variety of species. It is usually associated with ageing or hard, heavy work. Sometimes it is called Ankylosing Spondylosis, especially in the archaeological literature or when the reason for the changes are unknown. Anything with the prefix "Spondyl(o)-" refers to a vertebrae or the spinal column. Spondylosis refers to degenerative changes in the spinal/vertebral column. (Don't say spine because that is something you get stuck with if you grab a catfish wrong). Essentiallly, deformans refers to a deformity. Together, they mean the spinal column is degenerated and deformed, and has started to fuse (ankylose) together to form a single non-mobile bone. The effect is similar to having parts of your back or neck fused. The changes take place within the ligaments that hold the two vertebrae together; they slowly turn to bone fusing the "vertebra-disk-vertebra" joint into a single immobile bone. Often, the disk will also turn to bone. Usually the ankylosing occurs in the lower part of the back (the lumbar vertebrae). I have seen the sacral portion of the pelvis completely fused to 4 of the lower lumbars in several raccoons, but more commonly I've seen several lumbars fused together in cows, deer, coyotes, domestic dogs, house cats, and people. It is not uncommon to see it occur in the cervical (or neck) vertebrae as well. It is one of the more common bone pathologies you run into, and similar fusion can also occur in hand and foot joints (especially in bears, bobcats and canines), but then it is not called spondylosis anymore. Foster, my 12-year-old monster ferret, suffers from ankylosing joint changes, and it is especially bad in the lumbar region. He has an arthritis in all leg joints, and sometimes he walks sideways because of the joint immobility. He has responded well to steroid therapy, but although the therapy reduces inflamation, it does not restore the bones to their former non-fused state. Rebuilding the spine is dangerous and impractical and perhaps impossible. The vet is correct; nothing can be done to reverse the disease. What I've done to help Foster is primarily the steroid treatment, but I also place a reptile heating pad into the bottom of a box and cover it with several towels. The temperature is about 75-80 F, and Foster loves it!! I give him a warm water (100 F) rub-down a couple of times a week, which he also loves even though he dumps into the water, if you get my meaning. I am also his guardian angel and prevent the other ferrets from dominating him too much. Last, I hold him a lot and rub his backend. I've considered using pain killers, but have not found much literature offering safe dosage levels. I have been told Tylenol is deadly, but have not seen it in print. I've thought of extrapolating baby human asprin doses down to Foster's 2.5 lb body, but am still searching for ferret-asprin literature. A friend crushes baby aspirin and mixes it into nutrical for their hobbly ferret, and it hasn't died yet. I've also tried more holistic remedies, but I think--at least with Foster--the benefits are more for me than him. You didn't say how old the ferret was, but I suspect it must be older than 4 or 5 years. Just chalk it up to old age; you couldn't have prevented it, and all you can do is be sweet to the little furbutt. Bob C and the 20 MO Ferthunds [Posted in FML issue 2152]