Well, I'm posting this anonymously because I just don't have the
psychological stamina for a bunch of flaming right now.  I really hope
that what I'm going to say is reasonably un-flameworthy, but it seems
there are always one or two folks...
 
Anyway, Sukie wrote:
>I am a hardened old fart and it takes a LOT to make me cry, but when I
>read in the Miami Ferret survey that 21% of the ferrets with suspected
>adrenal growths are getting NO MEDICAL CARE I wept.  These were responses
>from people who cared enough about ferrets to reply.  It's shocking; it's
>something I am going to have to shut up on now because even a day later I
>want to cry again for those poor individuals who could have been healed
>and gone on to have full lives.
 
Sukie, I've seen your name all over the place, and I know you know a lot
about ferrets and the ferret community and have been here for a long time,
which is why I'm kind of surprised you posted this.  Surely you must know
that there are a variety of reasons that a well cared-for ferret might not
be receiving medical care for a suspected adrenal.  For example, one of my
babies, who I love with *all my heart* and consider my *child*, is
currently not getting any medical care for her adrenal problem.  She has
a bad heart, and thus surgery is out of the question.  Now, what are the
other options?  Lysodren -- somewhat expensive, according to my vet
somewhat risky and often ineffective.  Ovaban -- cheap but only useful for
the swollen vulva, which she doesn't have, and can cause breast cancer!
Pycnogenol -- homeopathic remedy which hasn't helped much and which she
*despises* the taste of, no matter how I try to disguise it.  Lupron -- a
great drug that I really wish I could afford, but at $200/shot it is simply
out of the question.  I already have one ferret on the stuff, and since the
compounding pharmacy does not accept payments (as our vet thankfully does),
one ferret at a time is all we can swing, so we had to do a little
"triage".  (I don't want to get the whole debate started again about the
morality of owning ferrets you can't afford to drop thousands of bucks
apeice upon for health care, and besides that I have probably spent $6,000
in the past 4 years on just such vet care, so it isn't exactly the case
that we're unwilling to spend.)
 
The fact is, as much as it *does* distress me, there is nothing I can do
for my sweet little baby's adrenal problem.  Love can't cure everything,
and yes, I have cried over it -- a lot.  But for about the past 9 months
she has had a balding tail and rump of varying severity.  And quite
frankly given her heart condition, being bald is the least of her worries.
 
I'm sure there are many other fuzzies out there in similiar situations.
Please don't be so quick to judge.  It isn't always the case that no
adrenal medical care = neglect, and I'm sure a good chunk of that 21%
fall into categories like mine.
 
However, if you have any suggestions I haven't considered, I am more than
open to help.
 
[MW]
[Posted in FML issue 3145]