Message Number: YG14243 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Pam Sessoms
Date: 2002-06-27 09:28:00 UTC
Subject: Re: Re: Itchy skin

On Wed, 26 Jun 2002 sonyablu67@a... wrote:
>
> Luna itches all the time! She will be beeping around and bang! She
> goes into a fit of itching that last for so long!!! I've had her
> checked out with my vet, he gave me vitamin supplements ... he didn't
> think it was adreanal but I really worry. She is 3 years old and very
> thin. Her coat looks great, but would you suggest that I have her
> tested for adreanal ? Maybe bloodwork ?

Aw, poor Luna, doesn't sound fun!

I'm feeling rather unqualified to answer, actually, so anyone who can bail
me out, please jump in. She doesn't look obviously adrenal, but if she
has lost weight (very thin) and has intense itching with no other cause
known, I'd tend to think that the TN adrenal panel may actually not be a
bad idea... It's kind of expensive and I've only used it once, where it
wound up showing a false-negative, but if you can afford it, it won't hurt
anything. But I don't have much experience in this area, so take that for
what it's worth.

Anyone know exactly what it is that makes some adrenal ferrets itchy in
the first place? I've alwyas wondered about that... Have a little old
rescue lady now with a bunch of hair loss, slightly swollen vulva, just
had a Lupron shot about 2.5 weeks ago. She was itching like mad before
the shot and has stopped nearly completely now. Amazing. She was so bad
that she's take her little naked tail in her teeth (fully in between her
back teeth, not just nibbling with the front teeth) and just *chaw* on it,
all up and down. Looked awful!

Michelle, good luck, and keep us posted,

-Pam S.