From:
sukiec@optonline.net
Date: 2004-09-13 18:47:45 UTC
Subject: RE: antihistamine at high doses-for adrenal 9/12/04fhl
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <6189350.1095101265041.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
It is a new one for me.
I suggest that you consider passing the article on to your vet. Sould you need to, write to the host site (FA, which should have contact info right on the site) to ask how to contact this vet IF contact info is not attached to the article itself -- which it may be.
I would guess that the degree to which the antihistamines would help would depend on which of the side effects that histamine cane cause are present.
We certainly HAVE encountered itchiness in ferrets with adrenal disease (and there are past posts in the FHL Archives at
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org
from Dr. Jerry Murray (AFERRETVET in from box during search) and Dr. Sue Liszewski (suedvm in from box durign search) on some ways to reduce itchiness. If it helps I guess would depend on how much in any individual was itchiness from histamines as opposed to itchiness from other causes such as dry skin from the hormonal changes.
I have put what was included in that article and in 23 years I don't think that these fit well at all with what we've seen our own ferrets with adrenal disease.
>Adrenal disease may also be responsible for the diarrhea and gastrointestinal >upset that is commonly seen in our pet ferrets. Overstimulated adrenal glands >produce excess epinephrine, which increases the amount of histamines. The >histamines cause bleeding stomach ulcers and GI upset. In addition, excessive >amounts of histamines can lead to those small black skin nodules called mast cell >tumors. Antihistamines at high doses have been found to have some beneficial >effects on ferrets with adrenal disease.
We've had two ferrets with IBD also later get adrenal problems but they were not changed at all by adrenal correction.
Of our three who got mast cell tumors in the space of 23 years only one of them had adrenal growths. Also, in studies of mast cell tumors Dr. Bruce Williams points out that the ferret version are very low in histamines which may be why there has only ever been one malignant one found in ferrets and that one was internal. (Compare this to ohter species where mast cell tumors are often malignant.) Also, I have never heard of mast cells tumors being caused by high levels of histamine (rthough I am willing to be taught), but mast cells themselves put out histamines.
We are unsual in only having had one ferret who ever had a stomach ulcer and he had a serious congenital gastric problem which regularly required surgeries for blockages it would cause (It was not itself correctible.) and eventually killed him.
There are other aspects of the article which intrigue me, though. I've wondered for over a year how fat responds as an endocrinbological organ to constant stimulation from the pituitary. With recent work on the inflammatory originator from fat I wonder even more. So far I have NOT seen any documented direct connection between the release of these products and the estrogen production aspect of fat, but the study of fat as an endocrinological organ is mostly new, so just in case there might be a connection that interests me, even though I fully realize there may not be any at all.
I was also interested in the suppressor genetics mention at the end of the article.
Plus, we did try the Spring Lupron shot.
Article under discussion:
http://www.ferretsanonymous.com/medical/adrenal.html