From:
fhbythesea@aol.com
Date: 2001-05-18 00:27:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] Ferret coats and adrenal (was
repeated passing of b...
In a message dated 5/18/01 6:19:54 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
christopher@b... writes:
<< Gizmo has a smell that I have come to associate
as, "the adrenal smell." In fact all four of the shelter ferrets that
currently need surgery are coarse of coat and smell like that. It's
almost a medicinal/urine type smell and I've never smelled it on a
ferret that wasn't adrenal. So, the question, anyone else noticed there is
a definite adrenal smell? Anyone else find the coat in adrenals coarser, more
oiler with a coated texture? >>
Christopher
I've been saying it for years now - I can spot an adrenal kid well before
signs of the disease appear, simply by the increased odor of their fur. I've
got one right now with all the signs of adrenal that simply, well, stinks.
Poor Dusty - she's such a sweet girl, but unfortunately with limited funds
and 4 other adrenal kids, she's on the waiting list (the boys automatically
go to the top of the list unless symptomatically the girls are worse). The
typical coat of an adrenal ferret before showing all the typical signs of
adrenal gland disease are coarse, oily fur with an increased odor, in my
experience.
Its a dilemma that every shelter faces - limited funds and lots of ferrets
needing/waiting on surgery. Thankfully, I can bring them all in for
evaluation and my vet and I decide which get done first and which get lupron
shots. Sometimes the lupron alternative isn't - they just aren't good
surgical candidates.
Lisa Leidig, Head Ferret
The Ferret Haven "By-the-Sea"
www.ferrethaven.org