Message Number: SG12435 | New FHL Archives Search
From: linsto@hotmail.com
Date: 2005-01-19 13:28:57 UTC
Subject: Update on Cookie
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <1333736.1106141337721.JavaMail.root@thallium.smartgroups.com>

Here's my update on Cookie.

Cookie is on Lupron since 2 months and 1 week now.
Last week, we went to see another vet with him.

This new vet just had to agree with me. The 100 mcg of Lupron was not enough as some symptoms were still there (marking) and some just came back after his second Lupron shot (hair loss, extra grooming).

Cookie got a 200 mcg shot for 1 month this time. She didn't want to give him a higher dose for now, if in a few weeks (not one month) it doesn't work we'll increase again or Cookie will have surgery.

She's an older vet with more experience with ferrets and she really believes surgery is the best option. She's very confident that they can do it without any problem. But if they do the surgery on the right side ... they'll remove ALL the gland !!!

She seems to be a good vet and I think I can trust her for surgery. I'm more afraid of THE DAY AFTER ...
I know that a ferret can live with NO adrenal glands but ...

If the tumor is not on the vena cava (just on the gland), she said there's 2 mm between the vena cava and the gland ... she can do it, remove all the gland, so the disease won't come back.

This vet doesn't do the vena cava ligation : if a part of the tumor is on the big vein, she'll remove all the right gland and leave the part of the tumor on the vena cava in there.

I really don't know what's best ...

Living on a prayer with the Lupron and maybe it will never work ... or ...
Put him through surgery and lose him on the table or after (if his system just can't deal with the meds).

It's really a very difficult decision for us as Cookie is our first and only ferret ... :(

After reading on Adrenal for more than one year now,
I'm convinced that surgery is the best option but .....

Thanks again for listening ...

Linda and Cookie XXX