From:
dbrn2@aol.com
Date: 2001-03-26 20:48:00 UTC
Subject: fyi: cortisol producing adrenal tumors
Well, believe it or not, I again have a ferret with a cortisol producing adrenal tumor. My ferret charlie died from one 2 months ago. I went to a ferret shelter and got 2 ferrets ages around 3-4 years old the week after he died. When I took them home, one of them couldn't stop scratching himself and his back feet had thinning hair. I took him to a local vet the following week and he doubted he was adrenal, but agreed to run the tennessee panel after my pleading. all results were high normal, but within acceptable range. that vet started him on ovoban based on sx. i gave 2 doses only while i was trying to grt in touch with dr charlie weiss.
Dr weiss stopped the ovoban immediately, and started him on melatonin for 1 month prior to surgery. operation was last thursday, tumors on left adrenal gland, pancreas, and liver. Biopsy results are all benign on all, but it appeared to Dr W to be a cortisol producing tumor, because of the liver changes.
luckily this time, no pred was given, so no further harm was done.
i'm sending this as an fyi, because apparently cortisol producing tumors may not be as rare as i had been led to believe. i've owned 3 ferrets in my lifetime, 2 with cortisol producing adrenal tumors. This latest one was only in my house for 1 hour before it became obvious there was a problem, so i doubt it's anything i personally have done to create the problem.
a couple of lay people have written on this list they give pred as a booster for various ailments. although pred would have been the corret tx for boo boo's insulinoma, he probably would have died if it had been given, due to already severely elevated cortisol levels in system.