From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2005-07-14 18:56:59 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Is my Fuzzy ok?
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <1675337.1121367419331.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Okay, it is important to know that not only is "cancer" a bad term, but that many of the growths ferrets get are not malignant, and that "cancers" are actually hundreds of illnesses. It is a grouping rather than a disease itself.
If you are wondering if she might be starting adrenal neoplasia.
First, if her vulva is swollen see a vet. She might be having the start of adrenal neoplasia, though it is rare that young (6 months of age), or she might have gotten something foul into her vagina or urethra and have a a bit of an infection, or she might have scraped herself.
Ferrets, especially those who have been "fixed" appear to need a lot of complete darkness. Using enough complete darkness appears to decrease the rate of adrenal neoplasia and to push the age at which they occur to a later age. Here are some things you should read which will tell more about the hypothesis of why this seems to be. It is useful to know that many of the gaps in this hypothesis have been filled in by study, so unlike hypotheses which still need a lot of gaps filled in (such as the carbohydrate-insulinoma one) the hypothesis about not enough complete darkness combined with early neutering as things leading to adrenal disease is a strong hypothesis with few gaps now.
Notice that more data has come in since the one was first run but almost all of it still holds (thought the meds appear more effective than thought before):
http://listserv.cuny.edu/Scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0401&L=FERRET-SEARCH&P=R12970&I=-3
Gives the basics of what is and what is NOT "cancer". It is a reassuring and fundamentally helpful post to read. I recommend it highly.
Notice that it is still important to treat adrenal growths even though most are not "cancer" for reasons beyond that it might be a malignancy:
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=SG5054
The importance of darkness:
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=SG7637
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=YG9845
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=SG9789
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=SG11479
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org/browse.php?msg=SG11095
and in explaining melatonin this also explains more about darkness:
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/melatonin.htm
Adrenal Disease:
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/adrenal.htm
There are things beyond adrenal adrenal disease which can cause an irritated vulva. They range from mechanical irritation to causes of loose stools such as giving too frequent laxative (and perhaps also some added supplements given too frequently or in too high amounts). When laxative is used too frequently is possible that there is a medical problem doing it but the only way to know is to gradually wean her GI tract to reduced use of that stuff. It also will cause intestinal irritation when given in too large amounts or too often (though you may well find some ferrets needing it at higher levels during shedding season), and the loose stools increase the chances for getting a urinary tract infection or vaginal infection from smeared feces. The increased loss of nutrients from the use of laxatives daily undoes the good of a balanced diet and can reduce the growth rate and health.
BTW, stay away from sugary treats or treats like pieces of cereal. The insulinoma-carbohydrate hypothesis may be a hypothesis but why tempt fate when this type of precaution is so very easy?