From:
Caitlyn Martin
Date: 2004-11-15 15:49:12 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Bad shedding or Adrenal is back ???
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <2868213.1100537972595.JavaMail.nobody@magnesium.smartgroups.com>
Hi, Linda, and everyone else.
> My ferret Cookie had his left Adrenal gland removed
> last August 2003 at 2 1/2 years old.
>
[edit]
> Now, he's in his shedding period ...
> and it's a very strange one ...
>
> I'm worried because he has the usual adrenal hair
> loss pattern ... He has lost all the hairs on his
> rump and almost 1/3 at the base of his tail ... but
> all his hairs are growing back !
If the hair is growing back it may just be seasonal
shedding. We also had one ferret (Nyssa) who would
show adrenal symptoms, then they'd go away, then
they'd come back. This went on for close to a year
before the symptoms stayed and got worse. She did
have adrenal (benign adenoma) and had surgery.
So... I don't think you can tell just from the hair
loss. You might want to ask your vet about doing a
Tennessee Panel on Cookie to get a better idea if it's
a recurrence of adrenal or not.
>
[edit]
> He keeps licking his rump
> and scratches a lot ... and he has that marking
> behavior ...
That does sound like adrenal. It's not the end of the
world if it is. Our Pertwee lived for over three and
a half years with no adrenal glands. He did have to
have medication for the rest of his life, though.
Sorry, I'm not a vet. My only slightly educated
guess, though, would be that you might well be dealing
with adrenal again. I hope I'm wrong.
All the best,
Caity and the fantastic four