[?] Subscribe To This Site

XML RSS
Add to Google
Add to My Yahoo!
Add to My MSN
Subscribe with Bloglines


Home
Blog/Forum The Blog
The Forum
General Ferret Pages A Ferret for You....?
Make & Models
Choices
Maintenance
Feeding
Training Your Ferret
Ferret Proofing
Breeding
Ferrets and Other Pets
Lost Ferret
Rainbow Bridge
Ferret Reports
Medical/Vet Information Health
Medical Information
Warning Signs
Natural Remedies
Ferret Vets
Fun & Informative Pages Total Ferret Info
Silly Ferret Stuff
Mustelids
Shopping for Ferret Lovers Stuffed Toys
Ferret Items on eBay
Ferret Links & Articles Ferret Links
Ferret Articles
Fine Print! :) Contact Us
New Stuff/Changes
Privacy Policy
Spanish Ferret Book Hurón Libro Español
 

Adrenal Disease in Ferrets






Adrenal disease seems to strike ferrets when they are around 6 years old here in Western Australia.

In America, it seems to affect ferrets at a much earlier age and there is a growing opinion that the early neutering of ferrets contributes to this problem.

The disease progresses slowly and these days the success rates after surgery are quite high, and the ferret has a good chance of complete recovery and a long and happy future.

Some of the things to watch out for are:

Loss of hair, starting at the base of the tail
Muscle loss
Pear-shaped appearance
Alabaster-like skin
Lethargy
Scratching due to itchy skin

Because adrenal disease appears to affect the hormones in various ways, you might find that:

Females with adrenal problems can have swollen vulvas, appearing to be in season even if they have been spayed.

Males can show aggression, even if they have been neutered, and also tend to have prostate problems, so keep an eye on your boy to make sure he isn’t straining in the litter box.

Treatment is usually the removal of the affected gland surgically but if the ferret is not a good candidate for an operation, then it can usually be treated with drugs.

In Australia & the UK, we can help ferrets with a suprelorin implant while in the States they have melatonin implants.

Speak to your vet about getting an implant for your ferret if it's not a candidate for surgery.

More information on Deslorelin acetate implants can be found on this site.







Having dodged the Adrenal bullet for 17 years, it finally came and bit me in the backside in February this year (2011).

My albino boy, Angus, had a beautifully thick winter coat but as summer progressed it thinned out quite it bit. It didn't worry me initially, as we were going through a very hot summer. However around the end of February it struck me that Angus was losing a line of hair on either side of his spine.

It was hard initially to notice it happening, because of the white hair and skin underneath. But as time went by, it was very obvious that yes, Angus was losing hair on either side.

I spoke to one of the Committee Members at WAFFS about the problem and was told that Dave Neck, the society's vet, won't operate on ferrets 5 years and upwards - he puts a suprelorin implant in.

I took Angus to Fiona, my vet, and when she examined him, she agreed that there was no doubt that he had AGD - the bilateral hair loss up his spine, the translucent skin ... they were the only two symptoms he had but they were definite enough for her.

I asked Fiona about what she thought of the suprelorin implant and asked if it was just a cosmetic fix. No, she said, it wasn't because it helps to suppress the production of GnRH in the brain which, in turn, suppresses the production of hormones from the adrenal glands.

It doesn't cure the disease but it certainly helps the ferret to get back to normal.

When I took Angus to see Fiona, he had lost quite a bit of hair off his back, as you can see from this photo ...

He didn't get over-aggressive with the other ferrets, thank goodness. To be honest, if it weren't for the hair loss and translucent skin, I would never have known he was ill. He was always my numero uno weasel wardancer and the illness certainly didn't slow him down one bit

I took him to get his implant on March 24 (2011) and Fiona said that it'd take about 2 weeks to start working so I marked the date on the calendar and once that fortnight passed, I kept my beady little eyes on him.

There wasn't any sign of improvement until the end of April. I noticed that Angus' back was no longer translucent but the skin was looking "thicker" and had a yellowish tinge to it.

Over the weekend his fur started to look fuller and it was very obviously when I stroked his back that it was growing back.

I am thrilled with the result and hope that my little man's improvement will continue as the weeks go by







More information about Adrenal Disease can be found on the following sites…

Adrenal Tumors in Ferrets (Vet Surgery Central)

Ferret Adrenal Disease (Pet Care Veterinary Hospital)

Ferrets - Adrenal Disease Complex (Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital)

Adrenal Tumors in Ferrets by Dr Daniel A. Degner

Adrenal Disease (Miami Ferret)

Adrenal Disease (Long Beach Animal Hospital)

What Ferret Owners Should Know About Adrenal Gland Disease by Dr Jeff Rhody, DVM

Adrenal Disease in Ferrets by Heidi L Hoefer, DVM, ABVP

Adrenal Gland Cancer in Ferrets: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment by Holly Nash, DVM, MS (PetEducation.com)

Ferret Medication: Lupron Depot: What is it and what does it do? (Drs Foster & Smith)

Ferrets - Adrenal Disease Complex (Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital)

Ferret Adrenal Gland Problems - Drugs to Avoid. Drugs that should not be used in treatment for ferret adrenal gland problems by Jerry Murray, DVM

Preventing Adrenal Disease in the Ferret by Deborah Cottrell, DVM (West End Animal Hospital)

Adrenal Treatment for Ferrets in the UK (Furkids)

Ferret Adrenal Disease FAQ (Ferret Central)






I've put up a few pdfs from the American Ferret Association which might be of interest, so please feel free to download the ones you want ...

Adrenal Disease in Ferrets by Ruth L Heller, DVM (AFA)

Click to download this PDF file here

Adrenal Disease (Hyperadrenocorticism) by Rene C Gandolfi, DVM DIPL ABVP & Charles A Weiss, DVM (AFA)

Click to download this PDF file here

Cryosurgery of the Adrenal Gland in the Ferret by Charles A Weiss, DVM and Anne K G Bazilwich, DVM (AFA)

Click to download this PDF file here









DISCLAIMER: The information contained on this page is not meant to replace seeing a veterinarian if you think your ferret is ill. It’s only meant to supply general information on a particular illness which was obtained either from personal experience with my sick ferrets, or from books and/or the Internet.






Return from Adrenal Disease in Ferrets to All About Ferrets

Clicky