From:
sukiecrandall@telocity.com
Date: 2002-12-22 02:12:42 UTC
Subject: RE: Fancy lines
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <3616060.1040523162556.JavaMail.root@scandium>
Apparently, I expressed myself badly.
I wonder if some of the mutations (some of which such as neural crest ones are very encompassing since they affect fetal cells that later develop into multiple tissue types) which have been utilized to acquire specific colorations may affect the AGE of onset -- NOT the presence of adrenal neoplasia itself. Numbers are lacking one way or another. (That is, of course, one of the frustrating things -- the lack of numerical data so we all have hypotheses but none of us have anything solid to even be able to see how large the problem is, who has it at what rates, etc.)
I agree that neutering (at any age) may play a part in the inclination toward adrenal neoplasia, largely because we wind up hearing of so few whole ferrets with adrenal neoplasia. It's hypothetical, but intriguing.
My point was that the regular diagnosis of adrenal neoplasia happened after we began having ferrets ( 20 years ago) but then it was seen in older ferrets almost always. It was years later that the reports of EARLY adrenal neoplasia began being written so often. That argues for a second contributing factor, or for an original contributing factor being worsened, or for poor diagnoses at some point.
Interesting is that even 20 years ago we did have early neutered ferrets from at least 3 sources but not the dignoses (or perhaps not the common presence) of adrenal disease.
Was adrenal neoplasia rare in the U.S. 15 to 20 years ago?
Was it common but underdiagnosed then?
Were early cases present in similar numbers to now but undiagnosed?
Is it just that hearing the reports makes it seem more common now, or was there really an increase first in adrenal neoplasia, and then in early cases of adrenal neoplasia?
I so often hear things blamed that were also done 20 years ago: neutering, kibble, food always available. Granted, we did not have quality food that are high in nutrients. It's a conundrum and no one even has the numbers to know for sure what we are seeing.
>As to what has caused the more recent incidence of adrenal disease at >an earlier age - my personal theory is the earlier spay and neutering of >the ferrets sold in pet stores. When I first got ferrets (over 15 years ago) >the ferrets were usually about 12 weeks old when they arrived at the >pet shops. As a result, they were probably allowed to stay with their
>mothers longer, and were not altered until 8 or 9 weeks of age.
Interesting point. Do we know for a fact that they were usually not neutered till 8 weeks of age? We had one girl about 15 years ago who was neutered younger than 5 weeks of age and came here from PV at the age of 5 weeks; in fact we helped them remove her stitiches. Still, if other farms were nuetering later back then that could affect reporting if the age has an influence. It would be interesting to know if the standard ages of neutering have changed and at which farms they have changed.
The effects of early separation are numerous, of course -- stress, lack of nursing, perhaps less grooming so maybe worse sanitation, etc.
Not an easy problem and possibly not something with an easy answer. The same group of indeas keep getting thrown around, but it would be good if one of these years (decades) someone had something firm in terms of numbers so that the problems themselves would be more clear.
> While there is no scientific proof, I personally feel that the early
> spay/neuter is a big contributing factor to the large number of adrenal cases
> we see here in the US.
> Probably there are several (if not more) factors involved, rather then one
> cause, but based on my own experience, I do not think the fancy colors have
> much to do with it