Message Number: SG16739 | New FHL Archives SearchFrom: brettm@uga.edu
Date: Wed, 8 Mar 2006 14:41:44 +0000 (GMT)
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Subject: [ferrethealth] RE: melatonin implant
Author wrote:
> I have read several postings on melatonin implants. Are these being used to prevent adrenal disease or only to treat. Also I have read that if you keep the ferrets room dark for several hours a day (like while away at work) this could help prevent adrenal. Is this true?
They can certainly be used to treat adrenal disease, and there is scientific literature to support this. Using them as a preventative has only a theoretical basis at this point, but it makes enough sense that I'm about to give it a try, and I've heard from several other ferret owners that they are also using them prophylactically.
The protocol is different, however. For treating adrenal you need to implant every 3-4 months. For preventing adrenal you only need to implant twice a year -- early spring and late fall.
Trying to provide ferrets with a natural dark/light cycle is almost impossible under modern conditions, though it can help if you can do it. However, it's trickier than it sounds. Someone once did an experiment with chickens where they turned on a light for a very brief period during the night, and this was enough to disrupt the hen's laying cycle. Now think about how much light is leaking through your windows from streetlights, headlights, yard lights, etc., and leaking around your doors from lights in other rooms. This is almost impossible to control without resorting to blackout curtains, so I'm not sure you can really provide the kind of light-cycle control needed to regulate a ferret's melatonin output. That's why I became so interested in the implants.
Brett
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