From:
Caitlyn Martin
Date: 2003-09-30 14:50:36 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] RE: adrenal
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Cc: sukiec@optonline.net
Message-Id: <20030930105036.411370af.whiteweasel@earthlink.net>
Hi, everyone,
What Sukie has said here is so important it actually needs a "me too"
post, and a little exposition. This post is NOT meant to alarm anyone,
but rather to prepare Sandy and anyone else dealing with a bilateral
adrenal ferret for the first time for what can go wrong. If you know
what to look for and have the proper arrangements with your vet even the
worst case can be dealt with, and I have seen the worst case (short of
death) with one of mine.
> Oh, IMPORTANT point: since it looks like that second adrenal may well
> need to come out, remember that if these come out well enough then it
> is ESSENTIAL to replace the missing adrenal products by giving
> Percorten or Florinef and Pred. (A few have Dex instead of Pred.)
> Without those the ferret can go into an Addisons crisis which is fatal
> if not caught fast enough.
Even replacing the adrenal products does not guarantee avoiding an
Addisonian Crisis. If you see the first symptoms of surgically induced
Addison's Disease, (lethargy and loss of appetite), you need to have
your vet do blood work and get electrolyte levels. While "standard"
starting dosages of prednisone and florinef (or percoten) work for many
ferrets, many more will need the medications adjusted. If you don't do
this promptly a ferret can go downhill very quickly into a full blown
Addisonian Crisis. If your ferret cannot control his/her body temp and
starts shivering it is time to get to the vet or emergency clinic ASAP.
Do NOT wait until morning or Monday or whatever.
Recovery from a second adrenalectomy is very rough on both the ferret
and the owner until electrolytes are in balance. You may be at the
vet's office every two or three days until things get back to normal.
This may take a few visits. In some cases (such as our Ryo-Ohki) it
takes weeks.
In rare cases a ferret may not respond to one of the medications and no
amount of adjustment will change that. This is what happened with
Pertwee, who got no benefit whatsoever from prednisone. That's why he
gets dexamethasone instead. We didn't figure that out until he was in a
full blown Addisonian Crisis.
You can't miss an Addisonian Crisis because it is the scariest thing you
will ever see as a ferret owner. Basically the ferret collapses, is
conscious but limp, and body temp drops. Without immediate treatment
they will die. We rushed Pertwee into the emergency clinic and
thankfully they have a great ferret vet there.
> Ashling has been on Florinef and Pred
> about half of her life (She is in the second half of her 6th year.)
> and thrives on them.
Pertwee had his second adrenal surgery about five weeks before his
second birthday. He's been on dexamethasone and florinef for well over
three years and he's doing just fine.
All the best,
Caity, Pertwee, and the rest of the weasels
End of ferrethealth Digest
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