From:
AFERRETVET@cs.com
Date: 2007-02-24 21:22:20 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Adrenal and Cardiomyopathy
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hi Ashlie,
You asked 2 good questions: how to medically
treat an adrenal female ferret and how to medically
treat heart disease in ferrets.
The x-ray showing an enlarged heart is step one. Now
step two is to ultrasound the heart to find out exactly what
type of heart disease is causing her heart to be enlarged.
Dilated cardiomyopathy is the most common problem, but
ferrets can also have hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, heart valve
disease, and heartworm disease. All 4 problems can cause the
heart to be enlarged! Thus it is really important to have the heart
ultrasounded. Then the correct diagnosis can be made, and the
correct treatment plan can be chosen. If it is dilated cardiomyopathy
causing her heart to be enlarged, then there are 3 types of medicines
that can be used to help her.
1) an ACE inhibitor such as benazepril (Lotensin) or enalapril (Enacard).
2) a diuretic such as furosemide or spironolactone and
3) a medicine to strengthen the heart contraction such as digoxin or
the new drug pimobendan.
Now how to medically treat adrenal gland disease in a female ferret.
There are 2 main options: Lupron and melatonin. Lupron and melatonin
can (and in my opinion should) be used together to give you the best of
both worlds. Lupron is an injection that she would get monthly (or every
3 months or every 4 months depending on which version is used).
Melatonin comes in implant form and also as a tablet or liquid that can
be used orally. I prefer the implants, but orally can also be used.
The recommended dose is 1 mg (up to 3 mg) once a day about 7-8
hours after sunrise.
Because she is a female, you do not have to worry about a prostate
problem, but you do need to watch out for a possible anemia problem
(ie estrogen induced bone marrow suppression causing anemia).
Hope that helps clear things up,
Jerry Murray, DVM
Dallas, Texas
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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