From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2001-08-29 19:19:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Adrenal problem?
>Hello
>I am new to this list, and wondering if anyone out there can offer advice.
>WE lost our baby Rocks (actually 5 years old no longer a baby) to a tumor a
>few months back, they said adrenal, however, he showed no other symptoms as
>his fur that was falling out all grew back.
>Now our last remaining ferret, Pebbles, who is 3 has a swollen vulva and we
>are told, adrenal tumor / cushings.
In the first place adrenal tumors do NOT cause Cushings in ferrets
(with vanishingly rare exceptions). In ferrets the type of growths
they get are hyper-estrogenic and there are both surgical and medical
ways to treat them.
You need to help your vet get ferret info; that is not an unusual
position to be in since very few vet schools teach about ferrets, or
need a ferret-expert vet.
In the files as lists of vets, and you can supplement that by also
looking at the vets in the SOS list which is also in the files
section. You'll also find loads of adrenal info in there.
Here are sites from which you can copy or link to VET WRITTEN info on
adrenal growths (since a few vets do not read non-vet stuff) to read
and also pass on to your vets:
http://www.ferretdoctor.com
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.trifl.org/medical.html
http://home.att.net/~hhoefer/
http://www.lbah.com/Ferrets/insulinoma.htm
There are also wonderful sites like http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc
and http://www.ferretcentral.org, and the FML archives which have
combinations of sources.
> I have however read, that there are
>blood tests etc you can do?
You are referring to the Tennessee Panel; there is info on this in
the files; we usually skip it but have found situations in which it
is useful.
> We cant afford the $150 ultrasound
Ultrasounds often are inaccurate on adrenals in our own experience so
we skip them for those typically.
> never
>mind the $450-$500 surgery and have found no options, Can anyone offer
>advice?
>
>Thanks so much
>
>Bonnie Petit