Message Number: FHL5011 | New FHL Archives Search
From: "Tressie"
Date: 2008-05-24 17:56:32 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] How quickly can Lupron work and what is the correct oral melatonin dose?
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com

I had an emergency with my 2 year-old gib Cannoli this morning. He
had an appointment to be seen by my vet next week because he was
starting to act aggressively with my sprites i.e., grabbing them by
the scruff and dragging them off. This was an aberrant behaviour in
this normally very gentle and laid back ferret.

He's got some bald patches on his tail but he is also going through
his seasonal shed. However, I was suspecting early adrenal and hence
had made the appointment with the vet.

This morning he was unable to void and I knew this was an emergency.
Unfortunately, my vet is not in this weekend at the clinic he works
out of and they wouldn't see him because no one else at the clinic is
experienced with ferrets. So I had to take him to the Emergency
Clinic. They were able to manually express his bladder. His urine
and stool was examined and both were found to contain blood. The
diagnosis - enlarged prostate probably due to adrenal disease. The
recommended treatment was Lupron and my vet is the only veterinarian
in this province who has Lupron on hand. Not even the Emergency Vet
Clinic has any. They recommended that I bring him back every 4 hours
to be manually expressed or if necessary to have an aspirate
evacuation of his bladder done. They do not have catheters on hand
small enough for a ferret. This clinic is 45 minutes from me.

I drove to the clinic my vet normally works out of assuming they
would have Lupron even if my vet wasn't in. Well they said they had
it but couldn't find it! They managed to track my vet down via his
cell phone. I spoke with him on the phone and he authorized a Lupron
DEPOT injection IM. We also talked about oral melatonin and seeing
if I could find some at the local pharmacy to give him over the
weekend. My vet does not have melatonin implants on hand - they will
have to be ordered from Melatek. I found some liquid melatonin at
the local pharmacy and between the pharmacist and myself we figured
out what the suitable dose would be based on FHL archives, etc. I
gave him 1 mg. at exactly 7 hours after sunrise. He currently weighs
1.45 kg. (he has also lost weight - he was 1.85 kg two weeks ago).

I am posting here because I want confirmation that is the correct
oral melatonin dose and also want to know how quickly is it possible
for the Lupron to work? My understanding is that it normally takes a
couple of weeks to kick in, however, when I got him home he was able
to void on his own and has voided since. I have another question
about surgery - but will post that separately.

Thank you.

Tressie




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