Greg wrote: >I seem to find a HUGE number of ferret owners that have so many problems >with their fuzzys such as: Adrenal problems, cancer, spleen problems, >broken bones, insulinoma ect. So many I cant list them. They seem to >go through surgery after surgery with rehab and recoup programs spending >perhaps thousands of dollars. > >I guess that 50 to 60 percent of the posts are related to health questions >regarding ferrets. I think it is easy for people to reach the same conclusion as Greg but that it is probably not accurate for a variety of reasons. First, IMHO, one of the very important reasons for the FML is to discuss health concerns. Ferrets have not been as popular as cats and dogs as pets and not near as much is known about them, both by the owners and by many vets. I have owned fuzzies for four years and I still have a lot to learn. Stressing health issues on this list helps me to better understand my pets. So, although I talk to many people about my ferrets (sometimes to the point of boredom), I only ever talk about health issues on this list, the FAIML and my vet. Second, many rescues are represented on the list. I suspect that many ill fuzzies are turned over to shelters because their owners are unable to take care of them and the rescues then talk about them on this list. This would tend to skew the posts toward health issues. Third, some of us tend to panic. I have made several posts in the last several years to this list about potential concerns. I tend to panic. After running to the vet, my panic has come to naught. In four years the worst thing my six fur kids have had are ear mites. I must admit, the oldest one is only five so I may face health problems down the road but I have six healthy fuzzies. Fourth, there are over three thousand members on this list that probably own tens of thousands of ferrets (no one can own just one for very long). If posts to the FML concerning sick fuzzies amount to 1,000 per year, that may still only represent 3% or 4% of ferrets represented on this list. So, when you look at it that way, the majority of our pets are healthy. I personally think it is a wise move to adopt a ferret and wish I had done so many years ago. As more research is done and as more information reaches us through forums like the FML, our pets will only get healthier and live longer. Dale [Posted in FML issue 2740]