From:
Bruce Williams, DVM
Date: 2001-04-15 23:19:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Hormone and gut questions
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., "Tansy" <Tansy@p...> wrote:
> Okay, I have a question for all the vets out there, especially
anyone
> specializing in endocrinology. Is there an equivalent to Human
Growth
> Hormone in ferrets? Is it very different? For instance, I know that
other
> hormones, e.g. insulin, adrenaline, estrogen are all basically the
same
> across species.
>
> There is a practical reason behind this question.<g> I am on quite
a few
> health lists for some personal health problems, and came across some
> anecdotes of intractable diarrhea in AIDS patients being halted
through the
> use of HG, where the digestive tract was even able to repair
itself, and it
> got me thinking that it might be of some use in some ferrets with
similar
> conditions. Just late night musings!
>
> In a related matter, a new article in the American Journal of
> Gastroenterology 2001;96:773-775 reports that about a third of
patients with
> ulcerative colitis not responding to steroid therapy were found to
have
> Cytomegalovirus, and had good results being treated with antiviral
> medications. I was wondering if Dr Williams or anyone else had ever
> considered this as another possible culprit in some of these ferret
> digestive problems?
I have not yet run across a case of Cytomegalovirus in ferrets.
Cytomegalovirus is generally, at least in humans, usually seen in
association with an extremely immature immune system (infants) or
most commonly, in individuals with compromised immune systems (such
as AIDS). It is also seen in monkeys with simian immune dficiency
virus.
Cytomegaloviruses are seen in several other species - foals and
swine, among others, but not yet ferrets. I will keep my eye out for
it, though.
While ferrets undoubtedly have growth hormone, I am unaware of any
purified form that might be utilized in the manner in which you
speak. (However, I amnot an endocrinologist, so my opinions on this
shouldn to be construed as authoritative in any way.)
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM