From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2007-09-08 16:59:05 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: An opinion please
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Your vet would have looked during the past surgery for
signs of an incomplete spay that involved enough tissue
to spot, so the chances are that the same triggers which
caused problems in the other adrenal caused them here.
Was pathology done on the tissue? Usually when caught
early it is just neoplasia rather than a malignancy.
What you need to learn about now is what to do if your
ferret winds up with both adrenal cleanly out.
At times one (usually the right) can only be debulked
(removing the bulk of the tissue) rather than removed
completely, but if enough adrenal tissue is lost then the
ferret will ***absolutely*** need medicines to replace the
adrenal products. The TWO meds needed will usually be
either:
Fludrocort/Florinef and a tiny bit of Prednisolone
or
Percorten injection and a tiny bit of daily Prednisolone
Sometimes other steroids are used rather than Prednisolone
A ferret who needs these must have them to avoid Addison
Crisis which is a ***rapidly fatal*** condition without
treatment.
BE SURE TO DISCUSS THESE MEDS WITH YOUR VET AND IF
THEY ARE NOT GIVEN THEN BE SURE THE MEDS THEMSELVES
-- NOT JUST A PRESCRIPTION -- ARE ON HAND AND THAT
THE FERRET IS MONITORED. Some vet choose to automatically
always give a Percorten injection after surgery and then later
measure levels, especially if a debulking was done.
Some ferrets have enough tissue left to regrow and those
individuals may only need the meds temporarily. Those who
don't need the meds by definition have enough adrenal
tissue left to produce those essential products for life. Those
who lose the adrenals completely MUST have either of the two
combinations of BOTH meds: the steroid such as Prednisolone
which helps control fluid balance and more, and EITHER
Percorten OR Fludrocort/Florinef to control the electrolyte
balance needed for survival.
If a ferret is prone to digestive problems such as IBD then that
ferret should get Percorten shots instead of the daily oral
Fludrocort because too much of the med may not be digested
in one with such medical problems.
Higher doses of the meds may be needed for survival if the
ferret is under stress (including physical stress) or gains a
substantial amount of weight.
There is an excellent explanation here:
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/addisons.htm
written by the late Mike Janke.
Notice things like these:
BEGIN QUOTES
Addison's disease is a severe or total deficiency of the
hormones made in the adrenal cortex, caused by a
destruction of the adrenal cortex.
...
If a ferret has no adrenal tissue left after surgery and is not supported with the proper
drugs, within 2 to 3 days the ferret will be in what is called an Addisonian crisis. In an
Addisonian crisis, the blood sodium will be markedly decreased from its normal level and
potassium levels will increase to try to maintain electroneutrality of the blood. The signs of
Addisonian crises are lethargy, anorexia, weakness, inability to walk, progressing to
seizures, coma and death.
...
Ferrets in an Addisonian crisis are in a life or death situation and emergency treatment is
crucial. Treatment cannot wait until the next morning. Administration of synthetic
mineralocorticoids can re-establish normal parameters, but they must be done quickly
after diagnosis.
...
When [Percorten-V] is given to the adrenalectomized ferret, there is decreased excretion
of sodium accompanied by increased excretion of potassium
...
Fludrocortisone acetate acts on the kidney so as to conserve sodium and excrete
potassium.
END QUOTES
There is a good deal more there and in the FHL Archives which can be found at
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
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