From:
Steve Austin
Date: 2003-03-15 15:45:15 UTC
Subject: Adrenal surgery vs. lupron injections
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <20030315.104726.280.4.kazpat1@juno.com>
You are not a bad person, it is a decision to be made between you and
the vet, sit down and discuss it. If this is the only vet you can use,
then so be it. If you can ask this vet, do you know anyone experienced
in surgery for ferrets? Maybe you can travel to that vet for a consult.
The point is that the recommended therapy for adrenal disease is surgery,
the alternatives are medications, which are not a cure, and sometimes
do nothing but mask the problem, sometimes they work well and
the ferret does well on them. Unfortunately, in onion's case the glands
being so big, it is unlikely the meds will fix the problem.
I have heard of people losing a ferret to surgery,
I have heard of them dying while on meds and either way
that owner is devastated and blames themselves. I think if the only
vet you have is not comfortable with surgery, then do the meds.
If you have a choice of vets, get a second opinion, and talk about all
the pros and cons of both choices.
I think you are a great owner, you recognized your ferret was not feeling
well, took him to a vet many times, didn't just take the vets answers
when
you weren't sure or the vet wasn't sure, searched out answers on the
internet and so on.
Ferrets are considered exotics by many vets and vet schools, people own
ferrets
in many different part of the country, and the world and sometimes that
means
finding a vet will be hard, if your vet is willing to read and study up
on ferrets
in the future he will be a good vet for you. Print out the ferret doctor
site,
and Dr. Williams site info on ferrets and let him read and see what he
thinks.
Both sites have information for vets.
Patty
> i don't even know what to say.
> i keep having nightmares about me being such a bad person. i have
> called many other vets that are out of town and they wouldn't even
> talk to me. the vet here with the advice from OVC has decided that
> to treat this, lupron is the only choice. no one is giving me
> straight answers. im sick with the fact that everyone is telling me
> different things. they are my children and i am helpless. i would
> give anything to make him better. i guess because i didn't notice
> this problem earlier on i am a bad person. i could have saved him so
> much pain, i could have saved my baby.
>
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