From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2004-08-31 18:33:50 UTC
Subject: RE: [ferrethealth] EARLY SPAY/NEUTER/DE-SCENT
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <5829450.1093977230817.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Well, there are a combination of factors, but over the years (23 with ferre=
ts and I guess about 18, 19 of those on ferret internet fora (though the pr=
e-FML stuff was very small and so was the early FML, though international i=
n each case) I've noticed that when people actually keep records a lot more=
U.S. ferrets make it to over 8 years of age, and a lot fewer non-U.S. ferr=
ets make it to 9 or over than had often been generally said. That said, th=
ere are some old practises (which some in Europe are moving away from) whic=
h built over centuries of ferret keeping and which are based on strong heal=
th reasons.
We're in the U.S., and we have often taken in ferrets with troubles, and th=
e typical age of death in our household is still late 7 to mid 8th (despite=
soem earlier deaths including two lympho clumps.
The people who had delayed spaying or alters whom I've known who saw a diff=
erence did not use the timing which is usually done in the U.S. I have a =
number of friends friends who like you had the later neuters who were done =
at maybe a half year old or earlier. I keep hearing from those people that=
they really are seeign no difference. A later neuter is better, esp. over=
a year old, from what folks in Europe have mentioned to me, and there is a=
n old world custom which is not often done in the U.S. which can help on th=
at score. If a ferret is provided with enough complete darkness (14 hours =
of COMPLETE darkness in each 24 hour period then the onset of heat or rutt =
can be delayed -- and for very long times, so enough darkness does not only=
help protect against adrenal disease. Veternarian Judi Bell has studied t=
his factor and those long amounts of darkness can even prevent some ferrets=
from going into heat of rut even as adults, BUT a kit who gets only 10 hou=
rs of darkness will instead come into heat or rut as early as 4 months of a=
ge. As you see, the old custom in much of Europe of having ferrets outside=
with sheds containing sleeping boxes that also have bedding allows for a g=
reat deal more complete darkness than having ferrets inside does. (See pas=
t posts on melatonin and on darkness in =
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org )
Then there is genetics. We not only have a more narrow genetic pool here, =
but we have a history of over a decade long of many ferrets having been bre=
d for appearance first, often for fancy traits without first checking to se=
e about survivability. I can think of at least two genetic lines from this=
which were prone to kit cataracts; many lines from this misplaced priority=
with deafness and sometimes other problems that can be associated with neu=
ral crest genetics in mammals (such as intestinal and gastric malformations=
, mandibular malformation, deafness, etc,); a line of strongly non-bilatera=
l marked ferrets who had aortic arch defects; angoras with malformed skulls=
, malformed nostrils, extreme nostril and even sinus hair growth that inter=
fered with breathing and smelling and made them more prone to sinus infecti=
ons; and others. There have also been past posts on this as on th eother t=
hings I will mention. (The adrenal disease relationship to not enough dark=
ness is a hypothesis but an exceedingly strong one and may not long remain =
a hypothesis. Basically, to reduce adrenal irritation from LH the ferret n=
eeds to have enough darkness (14+ hours of complete darkness) or supplement=
ary melatonin). (Question: Has anyone tried using melatonin implants to d=
elay onset of estrus or rutt to delay neutering?)
Diet may come into play. We personally have had very few insulinoma cases =
and we do feed kibble, but we also feed a lot of meat treats, a very few fr=
uit treats, never sucrose based treats and absolutely never starch based tr=
eats. I even try to get up cereal other family members may spill and not n=
otice to reduce the amount found during romps that include the kitchen. Th=
ere is a hypothesis out there, a very reasonably strong one that the feedin=
g of too much complex carbohydrates may be behind many, perhaps most cases =
of insulinoma. It may be that with less starch than is currently being give=
n that fewer cases of insulinoma may occur. It kind of depends on how many=
will happen anyway, and at what point the lower starch diet may have it's =
own health problems. More will known over time about what is optimal but s=
ome is starting to be known now.
Diet also comes into play in realtion to obesity. You almost never hear of=
an obese European ferret, but there are a heck of a lot of obese ones here=
in the U.S. People find them more cuddly. Well, yeah -- if you couldn't =
move as well as you should be able to you'd be more cuddly, too, and like i=
n humans most overweight individuals are not strong (though also like human=
s a smaller number are strong as well as heavy). Obesity itesellf carries =
health risks for most members of mammalia. (Hibernating bears are one stro=
ng exception in this and also differ in some other aspects of hibernation s=
uch as some kidney and liver ones which is one reason why they are carefull=
y studied to learn tricks for tackling diseases of those organs.). =
Lack of muscle mass -- called sarcopenia -- yes, it is an important enough=
health factor to have it's own name -- also carries a large number of risk=
factors. One other thing about U.S. ferrets -- way too many get far too l=
ittle strenuous exercise.
Both too much fat and too little exercise increase cardiac risks, both incr=
ease the rates of certain malignancies, both have a number of other health =
risks associated with them, as well. They are a bad combination for health=
of most mammals. Fat is a very active part of the endocrine/hormonal syst=
em. When there is too much of it it releases compounds which interfer with=
those that allow the feeling of satiation after eating (so a heavy individ=
ual can continue to feel hungry after a meal from that as well as from the=
endocrine outputs of a stretched stomach), it releases estrogens which inc=
rease the rates of some types of malignancies such as intestinal ones, it s=
ets in play inflammation processes by at least two routes and these cause a=
whole range of medical woes including cardiac ones in studied mammals.
So, it is important to off-set the weight that can sometimes happen from th=
e melatonin impact so that not too much of it winds up staying. Loads of i=
nteraction and fun activities for ferrets manage that.
There are other differences, but if you check you will find that the longev=
ity question is a question without one single answer, and that adjustments =
in longevity are possible.
Oh, also in terms of genetics. In Europe the ferrets historically were the=
re as hunters so good health and longevity were important to select for. H=
ere our pet stock is decended from animals who for a long period of time (a=
fter poisons and cats were used more than hunting ferrtets) were bred more=
for fur stock and that makes the fur and coloration historically more impo=
rtant than longevity or long term health, so our's might start off with an =
increased vulnerability on that score.
Also, never underestimate the value of having a ferret knowledgeable vet!
I know some people here who very often get ferrets who reach 9 or 10 years =
of age no matter the source. Caity is one, MC is another. They are doing =
some things very right. Now, if only what these combination of things is c=
ould be further narrowed down among those people who so consistently get lo=
ng lives fro their ferrets...
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