From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2004-09-01 23:08:11 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] age at neutering
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <5553360.1094080091757.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
> So, if altering later isn't "it"... Maybe it's more to do with the
> 'not enough darkness' theory? Could be helped with melatonin
> treatment, as has been discussed a lot lately?
It appears to be a COMBINATION of too much light with being altered, and the earlier altered the more time for the effects of irritation to arise. Six months doesn't seem to be different enough from a month and a half to make a noticeable rate difference. Older can make a difference it appears from studies by delaying the age of on-set (not by preventing unless something like a retired breeder which really cuts down the years of adrenal irritation).
Whole ferrets don't get adrenal growths as often and when they do they are usually (but NOT always) later in life. They are able to get the growths, though, and even some early in life.
What it looks like is that all ferrets are prone ot adrenal growths, but if the hypothesis is correct (and it looks really, really good) then too much light is very bad and has a worse affect on the altered and spayed ferrets. This is because the adrenal tissue is one of the non-reproductive tissues that produces the same hormones as reproductive tissues do. So, if there isn't enough melatonin in the ferret the body produces things like Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH). In a whole ferret that would then cause the ferret to become sexually active. In a ferret who is not whole the adrenal tissues wind up stimulated by the LH. If that goes on long enough, or often enough the result is that the repeatedly stimulated tissue can change and become a tumor.
Hope I explained the hypothesis well enough. As usual, apologies for bad writing during asthma season...)