From:
Heather Williams
Date: 2010-11-03 20:09:36 UTC
Subject: [ferrethealth] Recurring Adrenal Disease?
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
Two male ferrets in the family had adrenal surgery about a year ago (give o=
r take a few months).=A0 Both had their left adrenals removed and their rig=
ht adrenals cryo'd which is common practice for our vet who is very ferret =
knowledgeble.=A0 Both ferrets recovered very well from surgery and=A0by ear=
ly spring 2010 had=A0regrown beautiful full coats.=A0
=A0
Both ferrets are now showing signs of adrenal=A0disease again.=A0 My ferret=
, Niko (4)=A0lost his=A0winter coat in August which did not surpise me.=A0 =
I can usually count on him to look worse for the wear after I return from v=
acation.=A0 When he sheds, he does it all in one week and looks very ratty.=
=A0 Unfortunately, he has not started regrowing a winter coat yet.=A0=A0He =
is still very thin, has a bad case of rat tail (treatment in progress), and=
is spazzy rather than being the sweet mellow boy I'm used to.=A0=A0My sist=
er's ferret, Wookie (5)=A0is=A0displaying similar behavior with the hair lo=
ss.=A0 Wookie has been receiving Lupron injections since July to treat freq=
uent urination which the vet thought went along with=A0his=A0adrenal=A0dise=
ase.=A0 His last Lupron injection would have been=A0in September.=A0 Niko h=
as not=A0needed additional treatments.=A0 =A0=A0=A0
=A0
Does this sound more like recurring adrenal disease or still part of their =
seasonal=A0shed?=A0 What are our options since=A0surgery has already been p=
erformed?=A0 I have read that ferrets can regrow adrenal tissue and I know =
that cryo surgery is not a=A0permanent fix like removal is but I hate to pu=
t both ferrets through the procedures again.=A0 They are afterall, another =
year older.=A0 And while the same=A0vet performed both surgeries,=A0I use a=
different vet for regular visits with=A0Niko.=A0 Wookie's vet remains the =
same.=A0 I have spoken to her and she=A0thought maybe this was a result of =
hormones changing again along with the seasonal shed and recommended waitin=
g a bit before starting another course of treatment.=A0 My concern is that =
if it is adrenal disease again, it will come back with a vengence and nothi=
ng is going to help.=A0
=A0
Can anyone offer an opinion or share similar experiences?=A0 If a Lupron tr=
eatment is increased for Wookie and started for Niko and it's NOT adrenal d=
isease, will it hurt them?
=A0
Heather=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0
=20=20=20=20=20
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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