From:
"Karin"
Date: 2003-05-15 03:41:45 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Re: steroids/adrenal glands
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Message-ID: <4579396.1053006099858.JavaMail.nobody@magnesium>
Hi Dr. Murray,Sorry, but I was a quit busy and I couldn't answer before.Fer=
rets are the only specie that I know who is steroid resistent. I'm suprisin=
g. I was reading an issue about possible causes of adrenal tumors where Ca=
thy Johnson-Delaney, DVM, says that adrenal disease may have some relation =
to the pituitary-adrenal feedback. According to her, "any tissue wich is co=
nstantly stimulated goes hyperplasic and the more cell cycles and stimulati=
on, the greater the chance for neoplasia. This is particularly true with se=
creting tissue, such as the adrenal gland". I think when you use steroids y=
ou're stimulating adrenal tissue and/or changing the pituitary-adrenal feed=
back. But if ferrets are steroid resistent, it won't occur , right? Why the=
y are resistent? Is it a receptor for steroid problem? Could you indicate m=
e scientific papers or books where can I learn about this? As I told before=
, they aren't a natural specie here. They come from USA (most of them) and =
Europe. They arrived here neutered (all of them) and they are about 45 days=
-old. A crime, as I know! Most of them are "indoors".Karin KonecnyS=E3o Pau=
lo, Brazil ----- Original Message ----- From: AFERRETVET@cs.com To: fe=
rrethealth@smartgroups.com Sent: Saturday, May 10, 2003 7:14 PM Subject:=
[ferrethealth] Re: steroids/adrenal glands Hi Dr Karin and Sandy, Giving=
steroids like pred will actually suppress the HPA axis and thus the adren=
al glands. This will not cause the adrenal glands to oversecrete the sex h=
ormones or lead to hyperplasia/tumor formation of the adrenal glands. Ferr=
ets are steroid resistant for the most part. Usually we use pred on a lon=
g term basis only in older ferrets with insulinoma or lymphoma. Therefore =
pred is not the reason for adrenal gland problems. The current theory is t=
hat neonatal spaying/neutering (<6 weeks of age) combined with continous l=
ong day photoperiods (indoors with artifical lights, >14 hours a day) stim=
ulates the adrenal gland via a modified HPG axis where the adrenal glands =
(zona reticularis) responds like a gonad. This chronic overstimulation lea=
ds to the hyperplasia and tumor formation in the adrenal gland. Now for m=
y questions: at what age do they spay or neuter the pet ferrets in Brazil =
and do the owners keep the ferrets indoors or outdoors in Brazil? Jerry M=
urray, DVM Dallas, Texas