From:
"Sukie Crandall"
Date: 2009-08-15 19:20:59 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: Adrenal disease and our three year old Ferret, "Maverick"
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
We've personally had decent good fortune with each option
but that can vary and the approach needs to be suited to the
animal and the animal's life style for optimal results.
Meds can NOT be skipped and NOT delayed. A person has to
be very careful about them.
Cost of the meds largely depends on Lupron DEPOT costs and
those vary a lot. If a vet sees enough ferrets and uses enough
Lupron then the vet can buy it bulk and prepare it at the hospital
and that along reduces the cost to something like a 6th of what
ordering the individual depots runs.
Usually we go for surgery, having had the best results that way for
most ferrets with adrenal disease, but we certainly have had ferrets
on Lupron Depot and Melatonin Implant and since we have a vet
who preps their own Lupron it is affordable. We typically get the
4 month amount but have it redone every 3 months. Yes, our vet
cuts us a bit of break but we could go more years than
Hilbert has ahead of him (even if he ties the oldest DOCUMENTED
(with records) ferrets ever encountered who reached 15 yeats)
without spending what you quoted. Hilbert is currently in his
6th year.
On the other hand, some adrenal growths just don't get enough
control with the meds.
Whether the Lupron and melatonin can help control the growth
depends on the TYPE of growth. Yes, there certainly are cases of
hyperplasia which simply remain hyperplasia. (One mistaken notion is
that all adrenal tumors will eventually become malignant.) On the
other hand, some ferrets are already dealing with carcinoma or
some other malignancy at the adrenal and then surgery is definitely
called for.
There are also complications to watch for and some of those are
truly severe. Some ferrets with adrenal growths develop enlarged
prostates and urinary blockage, or develop fatal anemia. Even without
such complications untreated adrenal disease badly undermines
quality of life.
Here are some past posts that will help you
and at least two also talk a bit about complications:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG7883
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG6622
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG1100
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG7879
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL5827
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YPG922
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YPG79
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG5112
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL5714
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YPG1417
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG1766
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL3285
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG6830
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG5436
There is more there and elsewhere, but these should clear up
some misconceptions.
We find surgery to usually be the best approach personally
but it is NOT the only approach, nor is ANY single approach t
he best for ALL ferrets. If there is only one of the easier (and
more common) forms of adrenal growth such as hyperplasia
then the meds may well shrink the growths.
If you find a vet who preps Lupron DEPOT then it is also
very affordable. Just be sure to ask that it is the depot instead
of 24 hour Lupron. The same reason that you don't delay
Lupron shots is why you don't use the 24 hour Lupron:
http://www.miamiferret.org/24hr_lupron.htm
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