From:
ferrethealer@aol.com
Date: 2008-04-19 00:50:06 UTC
Subject: Surgery for adrenal disease Re: [ferrethealth] Digest Number 1124
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
In a message dated 04/18/08 6:30:37 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com writes:
But, surgery was the last option for him and was not an option for my
other vet. He even went as far as saying that even when surgery is
successful most surgeons will tell you that you don't get *all* of the
tumor/adrenal tissue and you are pretty much guaranteed that the tumor will
return, eventually.
**Interesting. Must say that I respectfully disagree with my colleague here.
Surgery, for me, is the first choice treatment for any ferret that is a good
surgical candidate (no heart disease, etc), as it is the only way a cure can
be achieved. I've done lots and lots and lots of adrenal surgeries, both
right and left, and the vast majority of the time am quite capable of removing all
of the affected gland. Two of my own ferrets (the last two early neuters in
my business, as the rest are privately bred late alters or intact) are
actually Addisonian, following removal of both adrenals completely, and are managed
by daily hormone replacement medication - better, IMO, than active adrenal
disease.
I have seen more than one ferret on medical management (with Lupron or other
meds) have an adrenal mass erode into the blood vessels and cause a fatal
bleed. Keep that in mind too.
As always, treatment options are decided on based on the individual. But
don't rule out surgery if the ferret is a good surgical candidate - if the vets
you are talking to don't feel comfortable doing the surgery, they won't
recommend it. Those of my colleagues who do the surgery routinely have great success
in it - or we wouldn't do it!
Now it is true that many ferrets who have one gland removed will eventually
end up with the other gland affected, and I do recommend medical treatment as
an attempt to prevent that - but removing the already affected gland is the
first step, IMO.**
Dr. Ruth
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