From:
Caitlyn Martin
Date: 2009-06-05 01:34:55 UTC
Subject: Re: Bilateral adrenalectomy, yes or no? Re: [ferrethealth] Digest Number 1545
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hi, everuone:
On Thu, Jun 4, 2009 at 8:28 PM, Sukie Crandall<sukie@mac.com> wrote:
> Over the years about 1/3 of our ferrets have had adrenal disease. Of
> those only a few wound up with the second gland ever having adrenal
> disease, so I have to say that our own family experience echoes that
> of Dr. Ruth, in that most have NOT had the second adrenal become
> diseased.
The same is true here. Just over half of our ferrets (mainly rescues)
have had adrenal disease at some point in their life. We haven't had
many recurrences. Ella just ran by. She had her adrenal surgery four
years, five months ago. She's been perfectly healthy since and has
had no recurrence. For most of our ferrets adrenal surgery has been
curative.
>
> On the other hand, Steve and i are familiar with Addisons and do NOT
> take the risk of that at all lightly. In fact, we always try to have
> meds handy even when a ferret gets just one adrenal out just in case
> the second one was suppressed or atrophied, and that is despite only
> having run into that once in our close to 3 decades with ferrets.
Even the meds are no guarantee of avoiding an Addisonian Crisis.
Pertwee was non-reactive to prednisone/prednisolone. Of course we
couldn't know that in a ferret who had never needed pred before. His
electrolytes remained out of balance despite several dosage
adjustments until he went into a full blown Addisonian Crisis. He
collapsed and was all but lifeless. It was the scariest thing I've
seen in a dozen years as a ferret owner. Yes, an excellent emergency
vet saved his life. Dexamethasone was substituted for prednisone and
he recovered. It was touch and go and for a while there and the vet
doubted that he would make it.
With both Pertwee and Ryo-Ohki, our two ferrets who had both adrenal
glands out, I learned that a bilaterlal adrenalectomy is pure hell for
the ferret until the electrolytes can be brought into balance. Any
vet that would recommend removing a second, healthy gland in one of my
ferrets would cease to be our vet at that instant. I would never
permit such a thing. I would never risk that kind of suffering, even
short term suffering, without good reason. The possibility of a
recurrence at some point down the road is NOT a good reason to me.
I would also point out that a right adrenalectomy is a difficult and
dangerous surgery even for the best and most skillful ferret vet
because the vena cava is involved. Why take that risk if the right
gland isn't diseased?
> Fortunately, ferrets usually can do well for years on those meds.
Agreed. We had three and a half good years with Pertwee once we got
his meds right. I still wouldn't wish what Pertwee went through on
any ferret. I also wouldn't wish those vet bills on any ferret owner.
All the best,
Caity and the terrific trio (Ella, Zephyr, and Chin Soon)
http://www.ferretsofdisorder.co.cc
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