From:
Sukie Crandall
Date: 2011-08-13 16:37:19 UTC
Subject: Re: [ferrethealth] Re: Spaying a female ferret (pet)
To: ferrethealth@yahoogroups.com
What causes ferret adrenal disease in the ones who get it -- because many never get adrenal disease -- is ultimately that the Luteinizing Hormone levels wind up too high for too long. That has many, many studies behind it, and it is documented in other species as well.
A way to get there with ferrets is to have the seasonal (Spring) changes that normally occur with increasing light begin in a neutered ferret (and is why too much light exposure and not enough hours of darkness might be a bad thing for ferrets). Reproductive tissues which no longer are present can not signal the pituitary to stop pumping out the high levels of FSH simply because they are not present. Will all neutered ferrets get adrenal neoplasia in such a situation? Of course not, and some may even have bodies that are especially good at destroying such cells when they begin. Still, it is ultimately the route for those who get it.
The full hormonal sequence is more complex but very interesting.
I suggest this resource as a recent great one on the topic because it goes into options and new work, too:
<http://www.ferretcongress.org/sym2011/phxpdf/Ferret%20GnRH%20vaccination%20ACD%20prevention-Wagner.pdf>
(from
http://www.ferretcongress.org/sym2011/phxpdf/
with that one talk selected)
but a lot can be found in the archives, too, such as:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL1843
and
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/YG9845
Personally, if we were adding a whole female currently I think that my own inclination would be to try using large enough Suprelorin implants at least every year rather than surgical spaying but to do the spaying if that did not work. It can get a bit tricky when chemical control does not work and there are some past discussions of meds to use in such a situation to get the ferret back into a safer condition for surgery. If all goes well Suprelorin will be available in the U.S. next year instead of vets having to order it but till that happy day arrives or better options are readily available:
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL12551
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/
http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
"All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow."
(2010, Steve Crandall)
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