Message Number: SG9295 | New FHL Archives Search
From: Sukie Crandall
Date: 2004-06-26 17:10:25 UTC
Subject: preventative Lupron question
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-Id: <B7415A14-C793-11D8-BB27-000A95CD182C@mac.com>

Has anyone seen the preventative Lupron Spring injections and then
shortly afterward uncharacteristic adrenal growths for your own ferret
family? (DO NOT PANIC. I am NOT saying that they cause such things,
just that I am curious about something which could definitely have
alternative explanations that could make much more sense at this stage
of information.)

I ask because we normally seen fewer adrenal neoplasia than many people
report, and only something like two, I guess, have had them before age
5 till now.

This year we tried the Spring preventative Lupron shot.

When Hilbert had his bladder repaired the L adrenal turned out to be
just starting hyperplasia. He is only in his first year of age.

Now, Mornie, whom we've been treating for what appears to be a partial
blockage (which is not slowing down her eating, drinking, or extreme
activity so hopefully will pass) has a small vulvar swelling starting
today. She is even younger. In her case it is possible that she had
an incomplete spay, of course. It is also possible that she irritated
it, prolapsed it, or even infected herself with the straining and the
laxative-begotten loose stools. Yes, our vet is aware of what is
happening and what we are doing for now.

Having Hilbert with such early adrenal signs in his biopsy (no outward
signs) is very uncharacteristic for our home. If Mornie also has it
(and she had better not; we are telling her it's not in her contract)
that is even more uncharacteristic for our home.

Granted, with my ankles and feet preventing me for so long from being
able to get over their barrier they haven't had as much complete
darkness as they used to have. I'm becoming much more mobile, though,
so we can get a grip on that now. Not having a lot of complete
darkness could itself shift onset around here and could be the entire
explanation. They really seem to need around 14 hours a day of
complete darkness, but when I was too immobile they were not getting
that much.

Still, I am curious about what people have encountered after the
preventative shots -- and this is NOTHING more than that.

If you have had one or more ferrets get uncharacteristically early
adrenal growths for members your own ferret family shortly after the
preventative Spring shot I am curious, so, please, let me know. The
reason I stress "for your own ferret family" is because there seem to
be living characteristics such as amount of complete darkness that
affect what is normal for a given household.

I am also interested in hearing from the households which know their
own typical ages of onset for adrenal growths (which I guess means that
shelters with only short-term ferrets would not be as reliable since
the earlier bulk of life would have been much different than at the
shelters) who have tried this Spring shot approach for a longer period
to see if they are finding any shifting of onset ages or rates.

Hope this is clear enough; I didn't get a lot of sleep last night since
i was up very late with Mornie.