From:
Caitlyn Martin
Date: 2010-01-05 22:36:50 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Re: adrenal: new to the site an need some ferret help
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Hi, Karen, and everyone else,
On 1/5/10, Karen McCabe <cinnamon_sprite@yahoo.com> wrote:
> 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.
That is entirely contrary to what every good ferret vet I've discussed
this with has told me. Our original vet, when discussing why he would
ligate the vena cava in most right adrenal surgeries, repeatedly
stated that he needed to get the entire tumor to remove the disease
entirely. He was most certainly convinced doing so was curative.
While the number of ferrets I've had who have developed adrenal
disease (10) is way too small for a scientific sample here is my
experience: Surgery in five of ten cases was curative, as in
symptoms never recurred again. Ella is currently at five years, two
weeks and counting. Pertwee, who lost both adrenal glands (one of
only two ferrets I've had like that) lived four and a half years with
no symptoms. He had other health issues but nothing related to
adrenal. Romana lived four years after left adrenal surgery with no
recurrence. Ker Avon lived three and a half years after his left
adrenal surgery, also without symptoms. It was three years for Adric.
Chin Soon has also been symptom free but it's only been nine months
since surgery so I'd say it's too soon to tell. Lady Ayeka had a
lymph node biopsy which revealed lymphosarcoma during her
adrenal/insulinoma surgery. She only lived another six months so the
time period afterward was just too short to know.
Nyssa had right adrenal surgery at age three and a half and had what
*might* have been an adrenal symptom, significant hair loss, start up
again four years later. She was also a year into her battle with
lymphoma and had been on prednisolone for all that time so the
alopecia may have been due to the pred. We'll never know for sure
since she wasn't a surgical candidate at the time. She was eight when
we had to let her go.
Podo had a right adrenal surgery at age seven and a half or so. Two
years later his symptoms recurred. By that time he had a laundry list
of medical issues including cardiomyopathy so we obviously didn't
attempt a second surgery. Podo was a poster child for lupron. It
worked brilliantly for him during the last months of his life and
helped him maintain a great quality of life.
Ryo-Ohki was the ferret where adrenal carcinoma metastasized. She's
the only ferret we've lost to the disease. Ryo and Podo are the only
two where I am certain that surgery didn't cure anything. Even in
their cases the first surgery bought two symptom-free years.
The experience of many other ferret owners in my area who have had
multiple ferrets over the years is not very different from my own.
Sure, the specifics are different but more often than not the surgery
is the cure.
>
> 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.
With all due respect to both you and your vet this is contrary to what
I've seen and heard. I've been lucky to live in places with
excellent, experienced ferret vets who were willing to share those
experiences with a ferret owner who had lots of questions and
concerns. None of those vets would advise lupron over surgery in a
ferret that is a good surgical candidate. All would claim that
surgery can and does cure the disease.
Regards,
Caity and the terrific trio
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