From:
Caitlyn Martin
Date: 2002-08-11 18:39:27 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] RE: bilateral adrenal
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Cc: jeggink98@yahoo.com
Message-Id: <20020811143927.070df4ac.whiteweasel@earthlink.net>
Hi, Judi,
> Well, his ratio today was 22:1 so we added florinef to his meds. We
> are going to have that and Pred for the next month and then try
> weaning him off since he does have a little adrenal tissue left. How
> long has everyone else's ferrets taken to get their appetite back
> after starting florinef?
If you have the correct florinef dosage he should start improving in a
day or two. The problem is that a "standard" dosage doesn't work for
all ferrets. If you don't see improvement (i.e.: eating on his own) in
four or five days I'd have your vet recheck his electrolyte levels to
determine if he is getting too much or too little florinef and/or
prednisone.
What you are running into is the hardest part (for the ferret and for
us) of bilateral adrenal surgeries. Once you get the meds right
everything is fine. Until then the fert suffers through Addison's
Disease symptoms, and I do mean *suffers* if it gets bad.
Keep a close eye on your little guy. If symptoms get worse (lethargy,
inability to control body temperature/excessive shivering) go back to
the vet ASAP. If he collapses (limp, nonresponsive) then he is in a
full blown Addisonian Crisis and he has to see a vet *immediately*, as
in an emergency clinic if it's at night. An Addisonian Crisis is life
threatening and cannot wait at all.
It generally takes time for these sort of symptoms to develop. The best
thing you can do is keep a close eye on your ferret. The good news is
that it is pretty rare for things to get bad enough to cause a full
blown crisis. Pertwee reached that point, and it is about as scary an
event as you will ever see.
The usual disclaimer applies: I am not a vet, just a ferret owner who's
been through this twice.
Good luck!
All the best,
Caity