From:
Ferret Wise Shelter
Date: 2004-07-06 14:21:23 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] reoccurance of DIC a possiblity? HELP
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-Id: <23667197.1089128636037.JavaMail.nobody@vanadium.smartgroups.com>
At 10:42 PM 7/5/04, you wrote:
> >
> > Not to be a party pooper BUT here 95% of all adrenal
> > ferrets become bi-lateral ( meaning second gland is
> > effected about 18-24 months from the first excision.
>
>That is completely contrary to our experience. The
>number here is more like 33%. Our vet certainly
>doesn't believe most adrenal ferrets become bilateral.
>
>Regards,
>Caity and the super six
Caity,
That is good news for you, But the big thing to remember is we are a
shelter, not a private home ( I have only lost 2 ppets in my home in over
11 years to adrenal disease... BUT in the shelter many times the reason we
get ferrets is because the owners get a potential diagnosis of an illness
and then turn the kids loose!
Of those who are adrenal-- in the shelter-- indeed 95% of any ferret that
has an adrenal condition it HAS become a bi lateral condition- meaning that
after the first excision with quality of life provided the second gland has
become effected with the condition.
That may be because we take such good care of them they live long enough....
BUT that is not saying all of the ferrets get adrenal before passing away,
we have our share of cardiomyopathy, insulinoma IBD, etc.
Though thankfully we have no dealt with Lymphoma for several years in the
main building!
Alicia Drakiotes www.ferretwise.org
[Moderator's Note: I think that all of us who have discussed adrenal disease rates
know that the rates vary a good deal when different homes are mentioned. Possible
causes such as not having around 14 hours of complete darkness in each 24 can be
found in past posts at http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org. Shelters have a tendency to run
into having to treat higher rates of many common medical problems present in the
ferrets turned in than are found in ferret-loving homes. This note is just so that
those new to ferrets or to ferret medical discussions know that the rate difference
isn't an argument, but an established observation.]