From:
AFERRETVET@cs.com
Date: 2005-11-14 00:18:59 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re:Genetics
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Hi everybody,
There is a lot of speculation that there is a
genetic problem with American ferrets, and this
genetic problem is responsible for the high rate
of adrenal gland disease and insulinoma that we
have here in America.
There is a research group at the vet school at U.Cal-
Davis that is now looking into ferret genetics and to see
if there is a tumor suppressor gene defect or an onocogene.
Remember there is also a big difference in husbandry here in
the US (neonatal spay and neuter, kept indoors with artificial
lighting for 12+ hours a day, and fed a dry kibble with a high
carbohydrate level) to England and Australia (not spayed or
neutered till an adult, kept outdoors in natural light, and fed
a whole prey diet with a very low carbohydrate level).
We know adrenal glands have LH receptors, and early spay
neuter and long day photoperiods (ie American ferrets) raise
the LH level. This stimulates the adrenal glands to produce
the sex hormones and androgens and eventually this over
stimulation of the adrenal gland disease causes adrenal gland
disease.
Likewise high carbohydrate diets (ie American ferrets) stimulate
the pancreas to produce insulin. This over stimulation of the pancreas
can cause insulinomas to form.
Thus it may be simply bad husbandry here in the USA instead of
an actual genetic probelm with American ferrets. Hopefully the
research at UC-Davis will answer this question in the near future.
Jerry Murray, DVM
Dallas, Texas
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