From:
dr_bruce_williams
Date: 2001-12-28 10:04:00 UTC
Subject: A comment on prostate enlargement in ferrets
--- In Ferret-Health-list@y..., wrote:
> Me again. Why don't you have your vet run the University of
Tennessee
> adrenal panel to make sure it is an adrenal problem? You can then
> make a more informed decision about surgery or Lupron. With little
> boys, you need to be very careful that they don't develop prostate
> problems. They can become life-threatening. Did you vet mention
> whether his prostate was enlarged?
>
Actually, I also read a similar comment in a widely-read book on
ferret care last night, so I thought I'd clear up a common
misconception about examining the prostate of the ferret.
In the ferret, the prostate lives on the floor of the pelvic canal,
is usually surrounded by the bony cage of the pelvis. This means
that in the vast majority of cases, except in extreme enlargements or
abscesses, the prostate is generally non-palpable.
In humans and in dogs, the prostate is easily checked by digital
rectal palpation (and everyone thought a doctor's life was
glamorous). However, in ferrets, the anus is far too small to allow
such direct examination.
So, while it is still important that your vet feel the caudal abdomen
for prostatic enlargement in male ferrets with adrenal disease as
part of the routine exam, a negative finding does not rule out the
possibility of prostatic disease.
The most effective pre-surgical test for prostatic disease in ferrets
is ultrasound, which allows good visualization of the enlarged
prostate - normal prostates will probably not be picked up. While I
am not a fan of routine ultrasound in the case of adrenal disease,
this is an important exception, and any male ferret with urinary
difficulty should be scheduled for an ultrasound with haste.
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM