Message Number: YG12744 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Caitlyn Martin
Date: 2002-04-25 11:24:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Adrenal Disease questions

Hi, Becky,

> I have a five year old female ferret that is showing signs of adrenal
> disease. She is losing the fur on her back from just above her tail
> to halfway up her back, she's not bald, just thinning. Her vulva is
> starting to swell and there is some discharge, she's also showing
> signs of aggression toward her sister. I was wondering what the best
> course of treatment would be for a ferret of her age.

I am not a vet, but I am a ferret owner who has seen more adrenal
disease than I care to think about...

In my opinion, assuming she is strong and has no other health problems,
surgery is the way to go. There is absolutely no other cure for adrenal
disease, and five is not old. Podo, one of my old guys (about 7.5 years
old) had adrenal surgery two weeks ago yesterday. His symptoms, which
included an enlarged prostate, aggressiveness, and hair loss, have all
gone away, and he is active, bouncy, and playful as always. You should
have seen him chace Kodo around the living room last night :) Our vet
has done eight adrenal surgeries in our business (five left, three
right) and all my ferts have come through it well.

While there are non-surgical alternatives, such as lupron, all they do
is mask symptoms. They do not stop the progress of the disease. Those
alternatives are great in ferrets that aren't good surgical candidates.

I am assuming you have a good, experienced ferret vet. I would have
him/her examine your little girl thoroughly and decide if surgery is the
right answer.

Good luck!

All the best,
Caity and the notorious nine