From:
mjanke@miamiferret.org
Date: 2004-06-17 01:05:45 UTC
Subject: RE: Swollen Vulva; hair loss
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <7837346.1087434345775.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Author wrote:
> We are looking for advice for our little one Sasha.
I'm sorry to hear she went through surgery with no results. Adrenals can often look fairly normal in size and still be problematic. With one of mine, my vet thought both of Spaz's glands looked normal, but had some doubts about his left gland. The only way he knew for sure was to remove the left and dissect it on the spot during surgery. Fortunately, it did have an abnormal appearance internally, so he felt he got the correct one and Spaz had a full recovery from the adrenal disease symptoms as a result. Some vets may have said they both looked normal and did nothing as a result.
You really don't have any different options than someone whose ferret has yet to have surgery. You either do surgery (again) or you treat with Lupron or Melatonin. Give her some time to recover from the surgery and during that time, see if you can get a second opinion. If you do decide on a second surgery, maybe by that time the affected gland(s) will have progressed to the point where there will be no question which needs to come out.
If she's an older ferret, I'd be real tempted to go the Lupron route, though I know many here feel surgery is the only way to go except in extreme cases. There's some thought that in cases of hyperplasia of the gland, Lupron *may* reduce the size of the adrenal and perhaps in some, prevent any further damage to it due to overstimulation. I hope Dr. Murray will comment further on this if he sees this post.
mike