From:
Caitlyn M. Martin
Date: 2001-10-17 15:10:00 UTC
Subject: Re: [Ferret-Health-list] Meds for adrenal disease (Digest
Number 431)
Hi, Mandie,
The usual "I am not a vet" disclaimer applies, but I have had six ferrets
diagnosed with adrenal disease so far (out of 10), so I have a lot of experince
with adrenal. My vet is one of the very best known ferret vets, so I trust
what he tells me, especially considering most of what I read backs him up.
> I have seen a lot of posts from people who had their ferrets diagnosed with
> adrenal disease and then put on one medication or another.
I too read about a lot of vets opting for medicating young, otherwise healthy
ferrets to avoid or postpone surgery. I find that very, very worrisome.
Medications can mask the symptoms of adrenal disease and make a ferret feel
better. They can't cure the disease. Only surgery can do that, at least so
far. Medication is the best option in ferrets who are not good surgical
candidates for one reason or another (i.e.: other medical conditions, very old,
etc...). For an otherwise healthy ferret who isn't terribly old, surgery is
the best way to go.
> Should I be asking for some medication for my guys? They are not
> having surgery yet.
My vet does not treat medically before surgery. If the symptoms become at all
pronounced he goes ahead with surgery. If the symptoms are not pronounced we
simply watch and wait until they are. If the ferret isn't being adversely
affected there is no need for medication.
> The vet siad that the disease wasn't to the point of
> that yet.
That does make sense. We ferret owners can spot changes in our ferts'
behaviour, including the beginnings of adrenal symptoms, very quickly. We're
very sensitive to these little guys since they're our babies, right? If a vet
goes in very early the disease may be present but the affected gland may not
yet be enlarged. In a case like that my vet has to close up the patient and
wait, which means putting the ferret through the trauma of surgery twice.
So... we watch and wait until the symptoms make themselves clear. For three of
mine that was a matter of weeks, for one that was several months.
Haiving said that, IMHO, getting the tumor removed early is a good idea, and
waiting can, in some cases, be fatal. I just had a very vivid reminder of
that.
My Nyssa (a three and a half year old girl) had her surgery last Thursday. The
pathology report states that it was a malignant carcinoma which had penetrated
the capsule of the adrenal gland and invaded the surrounding (forget the
correct term) fatty tissue. My vet got it all, so her prognosis is excellent,
and she's recovered beautifully. If we had waited on surgery and the cancer had
spread further things could have gotten very bad for her.
In early 2000 my Pertwee (then a one year old male) also had a malignant
carcinoma that had penetrated the capsule of the left adrenal gland removed.
At that point the right adrenal gland looked normal. Just five weeks later my
vet had to remove the right gland, and the tumor was already bigger than the
one in the left. It, too, was a carcinoma. What Pertwee had was rare: a very
aggressive cancer that started out as adrenal disease. If we hadn't done
surgery promptly he'd be dead now.
Most adrenal tumors are, from what I've read and my vet has told me, benign.
Metastasis is rare indeed. That's why so many people write that ferts can do
fine with adrenal disease for years. Most can. Some can't. How do you know if
your ferret is the less common case that can't?
Anyway... I'm getting off on a tangent. Back to your post...
> I wasn't worried about the quality of vet care until I noticed
> that everyone else seems to have meds to give ther ferts.
What you're vet is doing is what mine does, and mine has a fantastic
reputation. He's done a total of eight different surgeries on my guys.
They're all still here :) I wouldn't worry if I were you. Oh, and I'm about
to let him do yet another adrenal surgery. My Romana has been diagnosed with
the disease. No hair loss, but a swollen vulva and significant weight loss.
He may have also felt something when he palipitated her. In any case, he's
sure it's adrenal, and he hasn't been wrong yet. Oh, and no, she's not getting
any medication before surgery.
Good luck!
All the best,
Caity and the terrific 10