From:
"Karen McCabe"
Date: 2010-01-05 20:54:42 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Re: adrenal: new to the site an need some ferret help
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
--- In ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com, Caitlyn Martin <caitlynmmartin@...> wrote:
>
> Assuming what you say here is accurate (and I have no reason to
> believe it isn't) then I would say that this makes prompt surgery all
> the more important.
It does make prompt treatment imperative. However, surgery is not the only treatment and, in fact, contrary to popular belief, may not be the best treatment. Surgery does not stop hormone production at the pituitary, and so long as hormones are being produced the disease continues, even if/when both glands are removed.
With my ferrets I opt for lupron alone, as I have never had surgery (bilateral included) stop the progression of the disease let alone cure it. I have, however, seen lupron halt it. I've had ferrets on lupron for 3+ years that showed no progression of the disease when going to surgery for something unrelated (only one gland was effected, enlargement of the gland was minimal, and biopsy showed no malignancy).
If caught early, before the disease progresses, I do believe that lupron can stop the progression and effectively control the disease. I have seen it in my ferrets. With surgery, without follow up treatment (ie; lupron), on the other hand, I have always seen progression.
On the subject, here is another article of interest....
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/16072077/Update-of-Ferret-Adrenal-Disease-Etiology-Diagnosis-and-Treatment
Karen McCabe
http://www.cinnamonsprite.net
[The precursor to adrenal disease is not a diseased
pituitary. It is overproduction of FSH and LH
by the pituitary in response to normal signals
because the removed reproductive tissue would
have signaled it to turn off. That causes
over-production of certain hormones by adrenal
cortical tissue.
If the adrenal tissue is all removed (complete
bilateral surgery) the disease does not continue
because the tissue that over-reacts to the high
amounts of LH (and FHS to a lesser extent) is gone.
There may be some other effects still present that
high amounts of LH or FHS can cause possibly such as
increased bone calcium loss from high FSH amounts.
Of course, then the ferret absolutely requires Prednisolone
and either Fludrocort or Percorten to not die of
Addisons.
Many bilateral surgeries are NOT complete removals
but merely debulking. Vets vary greatly in their abilities
near critical tissues and structures such as the Vena Cava,
and ferrets vary greatly in terms of how much surgery can
be safely done on them in such areas because some have
the tumors grow into such structures while others do not.
Not all ferrets who have one adrenal gland become diseased
also have the second become diseased. If readers look
at past FHL posts they will notice that the rates of bilaterals
appears to vary greatly in different homes.
There are options for treatment and what is best for one
ferret may not be best for another. OPTIONS ARE GOOD.
--Moderator]
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