From:
"Sue Liszewski"
Date: 2003-10-01 23:58:45 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Re: adrenal (Garfunkle)
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <Law12-F72sVWDKpzxDP00005f97@hotmail.com>
>From my experience I have gone in and if I am able to remove both glands at
once, I do. The right has been relatively normal in appearance with the left
appearing abnormal, I have biopsied both and even the normal looking one has
come back as either an adrenal adenoma or adenocarcinoma, and certainly it
is best to remove it before it does appear terribly diseased and is more
difficult to remove. Also this way you can biopsy and find out for sure so
that you don't have to continue other treatments that may be unnecessary. I
even rem'd an adreanal gland once that came back with a cortical
adenocarcinoma and a medullary adenoma which in my opinion means that the
benign have the potential to become malignanat and once they do it may be
more difficult with a worse prognosis. This is just my opinion from my
personal experiences use them as you feel you best can. I hope it helps to
give you some insight.
Dr. Liszewski
>From: " " <mustylid@earthlink.net>
>Reply-To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
>To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
>Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: adrenal (Garfunkle)
>Date: Wed, 1 Oct 2003 9:44:35 -0700
>
>
>The ferret in question is named Garfunkle (he came to me with a "brother"
>named Simon...). His first exploratory for right adrenal problems was in
>the middle of June, when he was ear sucking. At that time, the gland
>looked and felt ok and we opted to wait and see. I went out of town for 6
>weeks in July/Aug and when I came back, he had lost half his hair coat. We
>opened him up again 3 weeks ago to find the gland still of normal size and
>consistency (not hard, not discolored), so we closed him up again. So my
>question is, in a case like this, does one blindly remove an *apparently*
>normal
>right adrenal (since the left is already gone), or does one assume it is
>the
>ectopic tissue causing a problem? In all the ferrets that I've had opened
>up for possible adrenal, they've all showed an obviously diseased organ,
>I've never run into this situation before. His other symptoms include
>excessive urination, territory marking, muscle loss, fat deposits in the
>abdominal area (pot belly), dry itchy skin, almost totally bald now. He
>had his first Lupron shot the other day while waiting to see what should be
>done
>for him. His cage-mate, Simon, also was showing signs of adrenal and had
>surgery in June and again in Aug because he was bilateral and my vet sort
>of
>panicked and didn't want to remove both at the same time. By the time he
>went in to remove the right, either it had spread or another tumor had
>formed
>just medial to the vena cava -- I told him to take it out the first time!
>:o) Eventually he will listen to me. Anyway, he is apparently one of
>those ferrets who needs no supplementation as he is doing so much better
>since
>having the second one out, *however*, I know how dangerous an Addisonian
>crisis
>can be (I'm an emergency animal tech) and watch him constantly for any
>signs. Taz also had his adrenal out in June -- a right gland, left ok, so
>I've had my run of three for a while...hopefully.
>
>
>
>But, again, my question is: in a case like this, does one blindly remove an
>*apparently* normal right adrenal (since the left is already gone), or does
>one
>assume it is the ectopic tissue causing a problem?
>
>
>
>Sandy
>
>
>
>
>
>--- mustylid@earthlink.net
>
>
>
>
>--
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>
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