Message Number: YG10303 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Cecilia McNamara
Date: 2002-01-20 18:57:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] Re: re: Is this waardensburg

Re: Waardenburgs Syndrome:

I think we have one fuzzie here that has it. I'm not real sure though.... He is the son of a brother and sister and has a sister (from the same
pair) who is albino. We did not know about the parents being siblings until about a year after we got them. They are fixed but I wondered about the
fact that two of the kits were "special". How does Waardenburg syndrome happen? How about the albino? Is she because of the inter breeding? So
many questions, sorry. Have lots more for another day though so Thanks for listening - and responding!

Cecilia

Sukie Crandall wrote:

> --
> Like Dr. Williams i suspect that we might be seeing two separate
> mutations there, and either might have its own possible risks to
> consider. Sure would not make sense to sell such individuals without
> tracking a few generations first for health and longevity problems
> (which doesn't sound as likely with the huge number of offspring you
> mentioned). While it's a "Buyer Beware" situation, the ones who
> might really suffer are the ferrets if there are health or longevity
> hazards involved.
>
> Alicia, if you mean that you are seeing eyes which may be one color
> on the right and a different color on the left then rather than it
> being a neural crest disorder that might instead be an aortic arch
> defect -- a genetic defect of the same early cells that differentiate
> into cells that form the aorta and a number of other structures. One
> consideration with such individuals where head coloring are strongly
> NOT bilateral is that there can be a high chance of there being a
> defect also of the aorta or some other circulatory defects that can
> be extremely dangerous, if my reading serves.
>
> One thing that has recently given me pause is a discussion elsewhere
> of some "bulldog" ferrets -- normal sized bodies, short faces, and
> shortened limbs which they described as "bowed" -- NOT a good word to
> hear in relation to joint health or joint stability. I worry that
> some may have forms of dwarfism. Now, dwarfism is not necessarily a
> huge health problem, but certain types are a real problem -- with
> serious and often painful results. Having had a ferret with a very
> painful form of dwarfism in the past this scares me; most people
> would not have been able to keep up with her special needs.
>
> There certainly are too many people out there who lust after whatever
> looks different, or judge by pelage alone, rather than considering
> the health consequences for the individual. That is too often how
> some genetic forms of health-reducing features increase in a
> population. That is what happened with panda and blaze ferrets and
> now so many lines have some of that component that the related health
> problems are at risk of being widely-spread or are already widely
> spread.
>
> Hoping that a geneticist replies (or has replied and i just haven't
> reached that post, yet) so that we can all learn.
>
> ---------
>
> At 3:22 PM +0000 1/19/02, Ferret-Health-list@yahoogroups.com wrote:
> While I do not profess to be the most learned breeder-- I have studied and
> researched breeding & genetics in order to sort good traits in
> ferrets. What I read of this breeder is much like those breeders of
> shelties ( I own a pedigreed sheltie- so I have knowledge here) . When you
> take a blue merle and breed to a blue merle you get extraordinary color
> patterns, blindness, twisted tails and mixed colored eyes and other
> genetic mutations.
>
> This would be comparable to breeding a panda ferret to another panda
> ferret. So yes, in my opinion , they would have the colmira genetic
> markings and having a breed of two with active markers would pass along the
> traits Less desirable as they are to kits. This is also often a problem
> which can result form in breeding and line breeding of ferrets. Any more
> learned ferret breeders please feel free to correct my understanding.
>
> DO I think this is wise? ABSOLUTELY NOT! One cannot know what other
> hidden genetic imperfections lie under the coat . This breeder in my
> opinion is not using sound judgement or solid breeding practices -- but
> sometimes folks do not consider more than the end means -- basically the
> money gained form sale of an oddity.
>
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