From:
Caitlyn Martin
Date: 2005-03-10 15:31:31 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Adrenal symptoms returning already.
To: ferrethealth@smartgroups.com
Message-ID: <521452.1110472875325.JavaMail.nobody@chromium.smartgroups.com>
Hi,
>
> We took him to a VERY knowledgable ferret surgeon
> for the surgery. During the surgery, the left gland
> was greatly enlarged and removed, while the right
> was normal and stayed. The surgery was 3 weeks
> ago... This weekend, Nanook started the agressive
> behavior again, and also seems to be peeing smaller
> amounts, more often. Needless to say, my vet and I
> are very worried. Can a gland 'go bad' in 3 weeks?
That is unlikely.
> Can it be diseased and still look normal?
Yes. We had a very similar situation with Pertwee.
The left gland was very large and was removed. The
right gland looked normal at the time of surgery.
Adrenal symptoms returned in 2 to 3 weeks. What our
vet at the time explained is that the disease was
present in the right gland all along but the left
gland, with the larger tumor, was supressing the
right.
> Are we looking at another surgery so soon?
Probably. Pertwee's second surgery was five weeks
after his first. The right gland was very enlarged
and the pathology showed adrenal carcinoma.
> Any thoughts, comments, supportive statements??
Pertwee lived for more than four years after his
second adrenal surgery. Yes, he was on medication for
the rest of his life to replace the adrenal products
from the glands he no longer had. Once he recovered
from the second adrenal surgery and a later
nephrectomy (unrelated illness) he was, as always, our
wildest, craziest, most wired weasel and lived a
normal life.
Please read through the archives at
http://fhl.sonic-weasel.org about bilateral
adrenalectomies, Addisons Disease, and Addisonian
Crisis. The normal medications once the second
adrenal gland is removed are prednisolone (pediapred)
and florinef or percotin. Assuming your vet
completely removes Nanook's right adrenal gland he
will need these medications for the rest of his life.
Your vet will start with a "normal" dosage which works
for many ferrets but is off for others. If the dosage
is wrong for Nanook he will start displaying symptoms
of Addison's Disease. At that point you need to get
him back to the vet ASAP and blood work will be done
to determine his electrolyte levels and adjust his
meds. Until his electrolytes are in balance this will
be a very rough recovery and a miserable time for
Nanook and for you. In Ryo-Ohki's case (another
ferret who had both glands out) it took a solid month
to get things right for her.
Pertwee was one of those oh so rare ferrets who did
not respond to prednisone/prednisolone at all. We
were pretty ignorant at the time and didn't understand
how serious an electrolyte imbalance can be. Pertwee
went into an Addisonian Crisis. It was the scariest
thing I have ever seen and he nearly died. He
received dexamethasone instead of prednisone and
immediately began to recover. The key was that we had
excellent vet care nearby 24/7. You absolutely,
positively need to have similar arrangements made just
in case and you need to recognize the symptoms of
surgically induced Addison's Disease to avoid a
Crisis.
Again, the good news is that Pertwee lived a very full
life for many years after that.
The usual disclaimer applies: I am not a vet but I
have been exactly where you are. The other disclaimer
is that nobody can diagnose Nanook by e-mail and that
his situation may be very different than Pertwee's
was. Good luck to you and to Nanook.
All the best,
Caity and the fantastic five