Adrenal Disease

Question: What will happen if adrenal disease isn't treated in ferrets? How long will a ferret survive with adrenal disease if it's not treated? Does adrenal disease cause pain?

Answer: Yes it causes pain. Ferrets do not usually show signs of pain until it is almost to the point it will kill them. It is impossible to say how long your ferret has with or without treatment. He can live 5 more years or one more year. Depends on how bad the adrenal tumor is. Without treatment the ferret could have all or some of the following symptoms: lose most/all his fur, become very tired, hard a very painful time going to the bathroom, get swollen vulva that increases risk of infections, become very aggressive towards other ferrets or you, and lose his appetite and lose weight- or stop eating all together and die. I suggest getting the Lupron shots and the melatonin implant after the surgery. I have had 3 ferrets die of adrenal- 1 had this. I also have 1 with adrenal (he is 7.5 years old). The two hat got this treatment definitely have/had it the easiest. They did not require a year or more of force feeding like the other two, and they stayed active and played with the other ferrets, so I know they felt 100% better. When a ferret has to get a shot (rabies, distemper, Lupron... whatever) the best thing to do is to bring Ferritone and give the ferret some while he/she is getting the shot. They won't even notice! Its amazing.

Question: What are some of the costs of ferret adrenal disease? In doing some research on the computer tonight i am starting to think that my ferret may have adrenal disease. Being it is a little late to be calling vets tonight, can anyone give me some numbers from expirience? 1. Cost of the test? 2. Cost of surgery? 3. Monthly cost of lifetime medications?

Answer: tests include blood, x-rays, ultrasounds, cost $700. surgery if tumour is on right side $ 500. if tumour is on the left side $ 1500. medication includes for pain, for infection, and testosterone replacement cost for life $ 90. a month the price list i have given u is based on canadian funds for i live in canada i guess it will depend on where u live as to how much it will cost for ur ferret, but i am not sorry i paid the money there is no amount of money worth more than my ferrets hope this helps sorry to hear ur ferret is sick hope he gets well real soon i'll keep my fingers crossed for u,( that u might be wrong and ur ferret has only a mild infection) good luck

Question: Can you buy Melatonin liquid over the counter for ferrets with adrenal disease? My ferret has begun losing his fur due to adrenal disease, and I've heard good things about the drug Melatonin. Is it over the counter, and where can I get it for my ferrets?

Answer: Having owned several ferrets with various issues I have learned that even the Vets are limited in their knowledge of these very sensitive creatures. Unless you know the correct dosage you probably shouldn't try that. It's so easy to over stress their systems. Did the vet recommend anything and how experienced is he/she in the area of wildlife? I would try to get a second opinion of that diagnosis, one of my ferrets was losing fur from diabetes and I had another one that was losing fur from stress (I was in ferret rescue).

Question: Does anyone know anything about hyper adrenal disease? My fiance has hyper adrenal disease. He seems to be fine, but I worry about him. He's told me about adrenaline attacks and how horrible they are. I don't really know much about it, and neither does he. I was wondering if anyone knew anything about it and could give me some details. I just want to know about what he has and what happens.

Answer: I Think the First Thing One Needs to Know is Whether it is Primary or Secondary, In the Case of Adrenal Cortical Dysfunction, See DST (Dexamethasone Suppression Test [Sp?]). If I Remember Correctly, the Over Production of POMC Can Be Misdiagnosed as Depression. Sounds Like he Has an Over Production of Epinephrine, It May Be Pheochromocytoma, See MEN type IIA. Of Interest: http://home.att.net/~LetFreedomRing/upda…

Question: Can ferrets catch adrenal disease from other ferrets? If a ferret has adrenal disease and is around other ferrets, can they catch it?

Answer: No they cannot. Another ferret can't catch it. It is common in ferrets though, so there is a chance down the road your other fuzzy (if you have one) may be able to get it, but NOT from being around other ferrets that have it. Here's several links about it: http://www.ferret-universe.com/health/ad… http://www.ferretcentral.org/faq/med/adr… http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/ferrets/a…

Question: how common for ferret to have adrenal disease? is it common for a ferret under the age of one to develope adrenal disease i know they can when older.... if not so common what could be other possibilities for some hairloss on their tail......

Answer: It's most common in ferrets three and over, but it can strike ferrets as young as two. Under a year old, I doubt it's adrenal related. Some ferrets do lose most and sometimes all of the hair on their tail during seasonal coat changes and then it all grows back in at the next coat change. It's a condition known as "rat tail." I have two that this happened to last year around this time and it appears to be starting again. The one was actually tested for adrenal the other week and I'm still waiting for the results of the test. All of the hair grew back on both of their tails during the last coat change, but the one I'm having tested for adrenal did not regrow hair around the base of her tail, so I decided to have her tested (she's 2.5 years old now). I did notice with the other ferret that he also had a lot of blackheads on his tail (when I looked closer at my female's tail, I noticed a couple, tiny blackheads on her tail as well). Are you noticing any blackheads on your ferret's tail? Ferrets are prone to blackheads on the tail and it can cause hair loss. It doesn't look very attractive, but it's really nothing to worry about. It can be treated with a gentle cleanser containing benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid (check with your vet for a safe cleanser to use). Use the cleanser to wash the tail (and *only* the tail) every couple of days - let the cleanser sit for a minute or two before rinsing. Even if you aren't noticing blackheads, it could just be a seasonal thing and a case of "rat tail." It could also be stress related. Has anything changed suddenly in your ferret's life? If you're really concerned, give your vet a call and ask him/her what he/she thinks.

Question: Does my ferret have adrenal disease? I have a 6 year old female ferret. She has lost all of her hair on her tail, and her hair on her body has considerably thin. She is a very small ferret, but seems like she may be thinning. She shows no sign of nesting or inflamed vulva, common signs of adrenal disease. Could this just be old age? Opinions please. I brought her to the vet today. She has a tumor on her spleen, the blood work was done we don't know the results yet if its cancerous. And no tests were ran but the doctor is very positive she does have adrenal disease. Thanks for your answers. And she won't suffer. She will be kept comfortable, until her time comes. She seems to be pretty pain free right now. Thanks for your comments and any further advice or experiences on this let me know.

Answer: I'm guessing it is adrenal disease. She has the main signs of it. Dealing with adrenal disease can be done in different ways, you can either opt for surgery to remove the affected gland or you can treat it with medication. If your ferret is healthy otherwise and could survive a surgery, I would go that route. It is the only way that will actually cure the disease. After adrenal surgery ferrets can live out healthy lives. You can give lupron injections as well. They are quite pricey and it only seems to work with some ferrets. With a lot of ferrets it doesn't really help them as well. It's a treatment, not a cure. A cheaper treatment option which helps slow the disease, but it will not cure it, is melatonin. You can get your ferret a melatonin implant which lasts 4 months. It will help your ferret regrow hair and will help regulate their hormones better. This approach seems to prolong life for the ferret as well. The implants cost between $10-25 for 4 months, depending on where you get them. Many ferret shelters also sell the implants as well, and charge less than a vet. This can also be safely combined with other methods of treatment as well. I run a ferret rescue and we usually give adrenal shelter ferrets a melatonin implant before we give them adrenal surgery. Usually if the implant doesn't help them regrow hair, we know that there is cancer involved and that it has spread to other areas of the body. Usually then surgery isn't an option anymore. If you opt to not do surgery, I recommend the melatonin implants. They are relatively cheap, and we've had great success with them. They are manufactured by Melatek, and you can get your vet to order them from the company. You can do an online search for that company and you'll find out all sorts of information about it. Good luck, and I hope everything turns out alright.

Question: My ferret has just been diagnosed with adrenal disease and lymphoma. What should I do? Any advice on how to keep him comfortable until it's his time? Any advice at all? The veterinarian, Tom Greek (www.ocferrets.org), said he didn't appear to be in pain and didn't recommend euthanasia.

Answer: This is unfortunately all too common in ferrets. Lots of love and affection is first. Second, you should discuss with your vet weather or not surgery is a good option. It will depend on the stage of the disease. 99% of the time, a ferret is not in pain from these diseases. Nor would they be suffering in any way. If there is any change in eating or drinking habits, give your vet a call. You will notice loss of hair, usually beginning on his tail. So keep an extra towel, fleece, or fabric in his cage to help keep warm. (if necessary) Euthanasia should not be thought of as an option at this time. Ferrets can live quite some time with this affliction, and still be happy.

Question: What is the recommended dose of Melatonin for a ferret with adrenal disease? She is 10+ years old. So I don't want to elect surgery or use Lupron shots. Thanks Witch 20, that was what I had heard previously. 1/2 to one mg 7 hours after sunrise. My vet has limited experience with ferrets. They can usually live for 2 years after diagnosis without treatment. As she is 10, she has 2 to 3 years remaining. Signs are swollen vulva and loss of hair on the belly. Thanks for confirming the dosage.

Answer: A suggested dosage is 1 milligram of melatonin given around 7-9 hours after sunrise

Question: can a ferret catch adrenal disease from another ferret? My ferret lost her cage mate from insulinoma a few weeks ago, and I can tell she's very lonely and misses him. She's adrenal and I was wondering if I bought her a new cage mate, if the youngster could somehow catch it from her. I don't want to put another ferret in danger of this disease if its avoidable =/

Answer: I'm sorry to hear about your loss. I know how hard it is to lose a fuzzy friend. But to answer the question, no, a ferret cannot catch adrenal from another. Adrenal is a hormonal disorder possibly caused by early spaying/neutering, genetic tendencies, improper nutrition, and/or seasonal light variations. Good luck with your new fuzzy. Make sure they get along, and your new one is okay with older ferrets--or other ferrets, period.