From:
sukiecrandall@telocity.com
Date: 2002-08-02 04:10:05 UTC
Subject: RE: my ferret
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <21021004.1028261405122.JavaMail.root@scandium>
I am confused as to why you seem to think that adrenal problems (There are multiple possible causes.) are untreatable.
First off there is surgery. This is the best approach usually and is extremely helpful for the ferrets. Even when adrenal disease is due to a malignancy the surgery by itself can be curative at times. We've been there.
Most of them are benign but the tumors should still come out when possible because they have a tendency to cause further problems: from anemia, to prostate inflammation and urinary blockage in males, to urinary tract infections, to growing large enough to cause difficulties for nearby structures, etc.
Anyone in the U.S. who has had ferrets for any length of time has been through tackling these, and usually the answer is surgery, so I expect that you will hear from many who tell you that it is do-able. The rate of complications is quite low.
When the ferret simply isn't a surgical candidate then there is Lupron, or Lupron and melotinin. These help control some of the symptoms that can cause discomfort for the ferret. Some individuals use only Lupron and there is research underway on melatonin implants. One of the vets here, Dr. Jerry Murray, is one of the researchers on that project.
Please, don't think that growing fur back in is assurance that all is well; it's not since many have described having ferrets do that despite an adrenal tumor.
Hope this helps.
Author wrote:
> I adopted 2 ferrets in late april 2002. The female had no hair on her back,
> down to her tail. She was very sweet and i knew that we couldnt do to
> much for her, except love her alot. The other people thought she had the
> Adrenal Disease but never got her tested.
> Is this the begining to an end?