From:
"Chris Jones"
Date: 2005-10-21 02:24:45 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] My 2 cents regarding Melatonin implants
To: <ferrethealth@smartgroups.com>
Hi all, I just recently rejoined the group and although I know there has been much input regarding the melatonin implants, I thought I would add my bit to the mix. I have 6 ferrets ranging in age from 2 to 9 years. I have two ferrets with adrenal problems and Kasha my 9 year old ( I have had frets for 10 years) was completely hairless except for her head and feet. I had Kasha and Mia on Lupton monthly for some time when it stopped working for Kasha. She had her left adrenal removed at 5 years old. Her symptoms returned about two years later hence, I started her on Lupton. I was unwilling to have her left adrenal gland removed due to the risk. I stopped and started her on implants when her vulva ballooned to extreme this last year.
I decided to order implants for all 6 frets when I ordered for Kasha and Mia because Little Bear had a patchy tail and I was seeing aggression in my big boys, Kosmo and Bookker. My fuzzy children are the poster ferrets of melatonin implants in my opinion. After 2 months Kasha started regrowing hair for the first time in 2 years and had a full body of soft fluffy fur by 4 months. Mia still had fur but it was thin and her tail was half bald. She is a 1.2 lb albino who now has a full body of soft white fluffy fur. Kasha and Mia both have almost completely normal vulva's with just a tiny bit of enlargement not really worth mentioning. My boys were energetic but not overly aggressive and there was a significant improvement in their behavior. Little Bear is now completely haired, soft, fat, sleek and fluffy. (his hair and weight never returned to normal after a battle with severe intestinal damage from ECE and I supplemented him for almost a year). Even Pandy who didn't really need it received benefit. In the beginning when I got the implants I recall Kosmo and Bookker being extra aggressive but they calmed after a few weeks. I have since learned that Kasha and Mia need implants every 3-4 months and the rest can do well on every 5-6 months.
I am curious about one thing and maybe it is a little silly: the implant capsules do not dissolve and if I get implants every 4-6 months and I have ferrets planning on living for another 4-7 years (okay so I am an optimist); well that is a lot of implant capsules if you ask me. I suppose it is a little thing to pay for such recovery and savings.
Anyway just as an aside: you can take too much melatonin as was my experience. I did not need melatonin, but I took one pill a day for 2 months thinking it would help me sleep. It really didn't work and when I started to experience excruciating muscle fatigue and aching, I thought I had the flu but it lasted over a month. After some research of my symptoms my husband researched melatonin and learned that sometimes, if you do not lack melatonin, you can get too much and it can cause muscle fatigue. Then the fatigue and lethargy experienced by occasional ferrets especially in the beginning would make sense.
Oops guess I got carried away.
Kathleen
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