From:
kittydoc2@aol.com
Date: 2008-03-02 21:30:48 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: A vet's thoughts on Adrenal therapy
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Karen-
The reason I will give the 1 and 3 month simultaneously started with an
experience I had with one of my own personal ferrets.
She had developed spontaneous diabetes in addition to her adrenal disease.
I noticed that near the end of every month, although I saw no signs of the
adrenal issue, her diabetes worsened and it took me more insulin to control
her. Since the hormones of adrenal disease can affect the entire hormonal
cascade, I reasoned that the ebb and flow of the depot lupron might be the cause.
Just because we call them 1 and 3 month injections does not mean that they
last that long in every - or perhaps even most - ferrets. Again, it will take
a large scale hormonal study to know what lupron *really* does in the ferret.
The following month, I gave her a 1 month repositrol injection, and 15 days
later, the 3 month repositrol. As the 1 month "wore off" - we did not see
the normal slippage in her diabetic control. As time went along and I fine
tuned the system, it appeared that she needed the 3 month given every 2 1/2
months; in addition to the monthly repositrol. It smoothed out the hormonal
cycle for her without the peaks and valleys of the one month wearing off.
Since that time, I have tried this system with other ferrets that had easy
to identify signs (like hers) or for owners who were willing to do repeat
bloodwork regularly so we could ascertain control.
Granted, between the medication and the monitoring - this is a VERY
EXPENSIVE way to go, and surgery would be more cost effective. But for some people,
cost effectiveness is not the issue.
I managed Milo's multiple conditions for several years with overlapping
Lupron injections until she died of unrelated causes this January (and I still
miss her!).
Again - there is NO EVIDENCE to support what I am doing here expect my own
personal experience. I am not advocating that it is an option for every
ferret. My point is that with so little concrete information known, we need to be
willing to think outside of the box to control an individual animal. There
is no cookbook to treating adrenal disease.
-Sandra Mitchell, DVM, DABVP
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