From:
"Roger Vaughn"
Date: 2003-03-14 23:15:52 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Onion back from vet again.
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <49686.192.168.132.35.1047683752.squirrel@mail.seaconinc.com>
> WHY? Surgery is the only cure. Onion would then be on florinef and
> prednisone to replace the missing adrenal products and maintain his
> electrolytes, but he'd be free of adrenal disease.
Yep, Onion would *likely* be on these meds, but not even necessarily
that. I had two bilaterals done last November. Each of them had both
glands removed in a single surgery, and both are doing great without
any supportive meds today. Ok, that's not entirely true - one of them
*still* has elevated hormones and is getting Lupron shots at the
moment. We will likely have to go back in and find the tissue we
missed. But the other one is essentially cured - no hormone or
electrolyte problems, and no meds.
Further, if one or both of those enlarged glands is carcinomous -
which is a small but real possibility - there is the chance that if
left in, the cancerous cells could spread to neighboring organs and
affect those, too. It's a small possibility, but it can happen, and
removal of the glands is the only way to guarantee that it won't.
I have heard that some vets prefer to remove one gland at a time to
lessen the post-surgical stress, but it seems to me that if both
glands are affected, one surgery to remove both is a lot less stress
than two surgeries to remove one at a time. I think my two guys would
have to agree with that.
I agree, it sounds like this vet needs to polish up on his or her
ferret knowledge.
I am not a vet.
roger & the wolverine wannbees
missing bear