From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2006-11-09 19:48:20 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Ferret with swollen vulva
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Adrenal disease in ferrets, despite being extensively studied still causes =
a lot of
confusion among vets who are not used to ferrets.
Ferrets do not get Cushings which is a steroidal tissue problem. Instead t=
hey get
a hyper-hormonal syndrome and the approaches for that are different from th=
e
ones for Cushings.=20
Back before it was known that this is not Cushings the meds usually used wo=
uld
sometimes cause enough atrophy that the ferrets could be thrown into Addiso=
n's
crises.
There is huge amount of established information on this.
The FHL Archives has a lot, especially from AFERRETVET
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
The vet articles below will help you and your vet greatly and your vet will=
also want to look
up journal articles by people like Doctors Nico Schoemaker, Robert Wagner, =
Jerry Murray,
Kathy Johnson-Delaney, and more.
Here are some excellent adrenal disease articles:
Here are some basics. Note that some ferrets have only one symptom. Some ma=
y have no
symptoms until a complication appears. Others will have multiple symptoms.
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/basics.htm
>From a ferret vet:
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/adrenal.htm
and there are more at that site, including some excellent ones by Mike Jank=
e with review
by ferret vets.
>From the FHL Archives (which can be linked to from our home page by clickin=
g on the bold
text mentioning archives):
>From vets:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG15827
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG5436
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG2049
(each also contains important complications info)
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DYG1952
(notice why it is not Cushings)
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG5054
(untreated adrenal disease and why it is not fair to fail to treat)
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG10790
(Old, but may have some info you need. Since then have your vet look into t=
he vet journal
articles of Dr. Nico Schoemaker, too.)
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG16270
(another study which will produce an article worth reading if it hasn't alr=
eady)
>From others or a combo and worth reading:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG16126
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG16112
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG15327
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG17126
(Notice the importance of providing enough complete darkness for ferrets, e=
sp. those who
have been neutered. Try for around 14 hours being available in each 24 hour=
period.
Sleeping boxes and other places to escape light help greatly. In just recen=
tly released
studies amber light has the least effect on reducing the melatonin the body=
itself
produces, whereas blue is the worst light for that disruption with green al=
so bad, so if you
need to use a dim bulb for some reason try amber for those times but do pro=
vide places to
escape light. Notice that many white lights, plus monitors and tv screens a=
re heavy on blue
wave length components.)
and there is a lot more in the archives
Be sure to see also:
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/adrenal.htm
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/24hr_lupron.htm
(why to not use the 24 Lupron)
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/melatonin.htm
to start off.
Some complications info you hopefully won't need:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG15827
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG5436
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG2049
prostate:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG6795
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG5436
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG16791
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG12819
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG10132
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG9678
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG8354
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG7311
Addisons:
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/addisons.htm
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG9938
(also mentions Vetalog)
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG9931
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG16232
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/browse.php?msg=3DSG12920
Related anemia:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG15827