From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2010-12-15 23:09:05 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] blind ferret and darkness
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
>
> my question would be does his blindness affect his melatoin output
> or is caused by light just getting to his fur/skin.
>
Believe it or not the answers to this are known due to human research.
There were people wondering if light exposure to areas like the backs
of knees might make differences. It did not. BUT the degree and TYPE
of blindness DOES matter. It is possible to be blind for vision and
still have the eye process light and darkness enough that the pineal
responds even if the person is not aware of the light or darkness, so
it IS possible to be functionally blind but still have a pineal
response.
BTW, the people whose types of blindness are of types where the pineal
does not register light have very lower rates of a range of hormonal
malignancies. The original research into what melatonin was doing
actually began because Scandinavian epidemiology researchers noticed
that benefit.
So, a blind ferret may or may not still have the pineal reduce
melatonin output in response to light; it will vary among individuals.
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)
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