From:
julie_fossa@yahoo.com
Date: 2004-07-27 01:37:30 UTC
Subject: RE: Declining Post-Adrenalectomy
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <3871885.1090892250248.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>
Author wrote:
> My ferret had adrenal surgery on Tuesday after he showed signs of urinary difficulty. He was only missing a very small amount of hair (top of his head). I was told by the vet that she removed all of left and part of the right adrenal. Based on that, she suggested he would not need hormone replacement. Evidence of urinary infection was found in a urine sample, so he was put on clavamox.
Sorry this isn't timely, I'm catching up. I hope your little guy is doing better by now. I feel Sukie is on target with her post.
Last week, my vet removed the left gland of my <4 year old male. He is a big healthy boy. Following surgery, Magic showed many of the same signs you describe. We put him on florinef and pred, and he did an amazing turn-around. It won't hurt them if they do not need it. Magic couldn't walk two steps without falling over. I guess his other gland needed time to wake up and function again.
Once Addisons starts, I have heard it is difficult to turn around. I had trouble with one little shelter girl, Zoey, after we removed her second adrenal. Bloodwork showed the ratios were ok, twice. I still lost her, after she began bleeding from her rectum. By that time, the attending vet decided it was Addisons -said her body was stressing, and prescribed Florinef for her. It was too late.
Zoey's sodium:potassium _ratios_ were ok, however both values were a bit low, if I recall what I was told, correctly.
I keep both on hand at all times, now. If a ferret is having an abnormally difficult recovery with loss of appetite and lethargy, they are started on it, even if it isn't a bi-lateral.
Also, food for thought, the absence or failure of hair to re-grow doesn't always mean there is enough functional adrenal tissue to keep them 'balanced'. I have one little guy here that had his second gland out in December, but continues to look more adrenal every day. He was on 1/2 tab of Florinef and 0.2 ml prednisilone every morning, but was still failing. Once I bumped his florinef back up to a full tab, he is a new ferret, following me around for his chicken soup and stealing my slippers. Buttons has a melatonin implant and gets a Lupron Depot, monthly.
Finally, Melatonin may help with the urination problem. He still has hormones in his bloodstream, which may take 6 weeks or so to clear. Other things that can help the prostate are Propecia and Proscar. Do a search in the archives and you will find a wealth of information on that.
Julie