Hi FML'ers I had the opportunity to attend the H.H. Backer Pet Industry Christmas show that was held in Chicago, IL. 10/1- 10/3. I was thrilled to meet Jeanne Carley of The Ferret Company (absolutely beautiful photos!) and Kurt Peterson of F.U.R.R.Y. It's always a treat to speak with ferret-intelligent folks! I also had the chance to visit with Marshall Farms and Path Valley who both had booths at the show. I think I share similar feelings towards Marshall Farms as do most of the ferret shelters, but I have to admit that my conversations with the MF representatives were enlightening and informative. According to one of the reps, MF is funding Dr. Charles Weiss's adrenal studies. I am curious to find out if this is true. I had heard that MF supplied the ferrets for the rabies testing so that we now have Imrab for ferrets. The MF rep that I spent the most time with was very ferret-knowledgeable- she stated that they want to work with vets and shelters, but that they have a hard time with vets , etc that continually "slam" them but who do not propose any solutions or ideas for correcting problems. And that if enough vets truly think that early neuter & spaying practices do indeed cause problems then they need to hear from these vets. She also said that when they are contacted with a problem that they do not know the answer, their response is to try to refer this person to a shelter because, as the rep put it, "you guys see everything". The 4 kits they had with them at the show were a good size, looked to be approximately 7-8 weeks old. They were well-cared for at the show and were active and playing frequently, with plenty of fresh softened food and water available. They also had a clean blanket each day to cuddle on. MF has also just finished a new ferret information brochure for pet stores to send out with each new kit. The new brochure is easy to read and has valuable care and feeding information for the new owner. Path Valley, on the other hand, had a large booth with a huge banner that read "NO RESEARCH FERRETS". This was their only logo. Young booth attendants took turns passing around the kits they had brought with them. These kits were substantially smaller in size than the MF kits. They all had dried, darkened, mucous crusts around their tiny nostrils. They had large bellies with what looked like protruding (prolapsed?) rectums. They tried to sleep, but were continually awakened and passed out to be held by the attending crowd. The Path Valley reps were telling anyone who would listen that NONE of their ferrets had adrenal gland problems. I have 2 Path Valley ferrets at my shelter now, one of which is a 1 1/2 yr. old female who just had an adrenal surgery 3 weeks ago. The pathology report that came back states that she did indeed have a tumor on her adrenal gland. The other PV ferret has what our vet thinks is a congenital defect with his jaw. He cannot open his mouth more than 1/2". I also spoke with several pet store owners about there recent experiences with MF and PV ferrets. One pet store (on the West Coast) said that they had to "replace" 65 MFferrets last year due to illness. Whether this was from MF or from the pet store's lack of care I do not know. This same pet store said that they still buy Marshall's ferrets because PV ferrets, Canadian ferrets, and Triple F ferrets all cost too much. They also said that the Canadian ferrets were mean as hell. Another store said that they liked the MF ferts, that they had no problems with them. They did say that they had a PV rep show them a nice, sturdy 8-10 week old kit that the store owners felt was a good size and age to sell to the public. They placed their order with PV, but when the kits arrived the store owners were saddened to see teeny, tiny kits that they felt were too young to sell. These observations are only what I saw and heard at this convention. I'd like to think we can work together to help ALL breeding facilities IMPROVE their care, medical practices, and breeding lines so that we do not have so many ferrets becoming ill at early ages. It seems to me that half the battle is in educating the new ferret owners so that earlier diagnosis's can be made with all sick ferrets, and that the new owners are educated toknow how to care and properly feed a ferret. A good diet is essential to a ferret's health. I though other ferret owners would be interested in what I found at the show. I still have conflicting feelings about these breeders, but I hope one day that we'll all be on the same side- the ferret's side. Dooks to all, and God bless all the shelter workers and ferts that need a loving home. Marlene Blackburn Richmond Ferret Rescue League. Richmond, VA. [Posted in FML issue 2827]