Message Number: YG11943 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Marie Bartholdsson
Date: 2002-03-18 07:32:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Zevron on ferret longevity and disease

Regarding longevity and diseases in America vs. Europe I can only speak for
the situation we have in Sweden which is where I live. Also, I can only give
you my opinion based on my own experience and the experience of friends and
others. I don’t have any figures or facts, no studies have been done
(although we are planning to send out a national questionnaire to ferret
owners hopefully in the near future).
My opinion is that the majority of the ferrets here do NOT suffer from
diseases to the same extent as they do in the US. When ferrets do get sick
here it’s more often other diseases (various cancers) than the typical
adrenal, insulinoma, cardio, lymphoma etc. What people don’t seem to
understand is that the difference is so great that you really don’t need
figures to back this up. It’s not a marginal difference!
Another thing which I think is worth mentioning is the longevity. The
longevity seems to be more or less the same in the US, i.e. a typical life
span of 7-8 years. The difference is that in Sweden these are for the
majority of the ferrets 7-8 healthy years, while in the US ferrets have
typically been through a lot of health problems already at an early age,
often requiring surgery and lifelong medication.
I would say that in Sweden it is still common to put down a ferret with very
serious health problems, rather than to go on surgery after surgery trying
to prolong life. Though ferrets do get more advanced treatment now than they
did 10 years ago mainly because ferrets are more accepted as a pet now.

It is my opinion that the old stocks of ferrets are more healthy. The newer
stock of imported diluted colours seems to have more health issues. I
believe the typical US diseases are steadily increasing here. When I say the
older stocks I mean those that originally were kept as working ferrets (and
also fur farmed ferrets to a certain extent). From what I’ve heard these
ferrets have/had a lot of wild polecat in the background. Unfortunately,
most breeders, even those who kept the older stock, are now breeding more
diluted colours simply because that’s what people want. Fancy colours and
fancy fur such as the angora seems to be more popular.

There definitely seems to be certain lines which have a more healthy
constitution. I was talking with a breeder of working ferrets two weeks ago,
and he told me he bred his ferrets up till around 7-8 years, and most of
them lived to be more than 10 years old. He has been breeding for 30 years,
the "old stock", but as most of the other breeders have more diluted stock
now.
I have only been breeding for 13 years. My ferrets seems to have a typical
life span of no longer than 7-8 years. Most of them have developed cancer
which have shortened their lives (have actually just been to the vets today
with a possible cancer). But most of them lived healthy until they got sick
in the end.

I would like to ask you not to be offended by posts like this, because that
is not my intention at all. I am not trying to accuse anyone or make out
Swedish ferrets as better in any way. I am merely interested in the fact
that there is a difference and the reasons why. Especially since these
diseases are becoming more of an issue over here as well.

Marie
http://trickytrixie.tripod.com




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