From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2001-05-18 15:39:00 UTC
Subject: was Re: Ferret coats and adrenal; now adrenal scale
questions
>
>Cricket had a huge right adrenal tumor, even with so few symptoms and the
>hair growing back.
We've had some silent adrenal tumors show up in necropsies. I've
always wondered what the rate of those is, and if the silent ones
matter. I know that it was found from human dissections that about
75% of slipped discs never cause any problems even though others with
similar slips suffered greatly; different species and condition but
my point is that it is possible for two individuals to have the same
condition without having it cause problems in one. Is that also
theoretically possible with adrenal tumors or will they always cause
problems eventually if the ferret does not die of something else
first? Have any vets kept track of asymptomatic ones found
after-the-fact and how often this is?
On the other side of the scale, have any vets kept track of ferrets
which looked like they had adrenal growths in terms of fur loss or
some other signs, yet, did not? On necropsy one of our's who looked
classic, but had hypertrophic cardiomyopathy so the possible adrenal
had to be ignored, had no adrenal disease at all on necropsy.
How often are the ones whose symptoms on either end of the scale encountered?
We have had two in recent years break with the norm and wind up with
two diseased adrenals, which if I recall right from an earlier BW
post happens in about 15%. (Hope I have that number right. Don't
assume that I do, please; instead, check the old posts.) Ashling had
both out at once and is thriving on Florinef and Prednisone. Seven
of Six had her symptoms start again, several months after surgery, so
she'll have a second op and get the right one out. Hey, it happens
sometimes, but at least it's rare. (Warp has lost fur, but in her it
appears more to be a stress response to her when her friable small
intestinal disorder last kicked up badly; Warp's does not seem to be
adrenal-related.)
.