From:
Melissa
Date: 2004-05-19 01:20:57 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Digest 18 May 2004 13:56:21 -0000 Issue 676
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <20040519012057.22184.qmail@web50403.mail.yahoo.com>
I am not a vet. I have owned six ferrets over the
course of 11 years. Several of the ferrets have had
adrenal disorder. One died following traditional
(scalpel) adrenal surgery because it basically took
too long and she couldn't metabolize the anesthesia.
I later had another ferret that exhibited symptoms of
adrenal disorder. He was diagnosed as having adrenal
disorder by the vet and also by the tennessee panel,
which showed mildly elevated hormone levels. The vet
advised waiting for a few months to do surgery so that
we would have a better chance of getting the affected
gland. We gave anastrozole for the adrenal symptoms,
which helped.
Understanding that the cryosurgery was a shorter
procedure, and easier for the ferret to heal from, I
took the ferret to a vet that was very experienced in
this procedure. He agreed to do the surgery;
however, when he learned that the ferret was a
late-alter, he argued that late alters don't get
adrenal disorder. He agreed to confer with my vet
regarding the test results and the fact that his
symptoms responded to treatment. Despite his
agreement to do the removal -- not an exploratory, but
a removal -- the vet refused to remove either gland
because they both appeared grossly normal.
Mishka lost over half a pound literally overnight from
that "easy" surgery, which was basically an
exploratory surgery. Very shortly thereafter he
developed insulinoma, and was not stable enough to
undergo another surgery for more than a year. Of
course by that point, the gland had grown into his
liver and wasn't removable.
I have heard numerous times from veterinarians that
the left adrenal is the affected gland in most cases,
and that if the vet is in doubt, to remove the left
gland.
I don't mean to be argumentative, but in my experience
the common assumption that an animal will be able to
undergo another sugery at a later date is not a good
one to make.
--- Ferrethealer@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 05/18/04 9:57:17 AM Eastern
> Daylight Time,
> ferrethealth-digest-help@smartgroups.com writes:
> This is sterotypical adrenal disorder. If this were
> my ferret, he'd be in for surgery ASAP, and I would
> require the vet to remove one of the glands whether
> he
> thought they looked enlarged or not.
>
> As a vet - I would not do this. If tissue is
> normal, it should not be
> removed. If both glands appear grossly normal, it
> would be better for the ferret to
> wait a couple of months and do a second surgery than
> to arbitrarily remove
> one gland, not knowing if the gland you remove is
> the problem or if the other
> one was and you've left the problem in there.
>
> Dr. Ruth
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Find it. Fix it. And fly again.
>
>
>
>
> --
> If you want to share pictures, use the calendar, or
> start a vote
> visit http://www.smartgroups.com/groups/ferrethealth
>
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