Saw the vet today with a ferret-Socks- with a bald tail, aggressive
behavior, sprinkling a little more often than he usually does.  (He
basically urinates anywhere lately.) One of top vets with ferrets in
the area said --and this may be very important to all of you --
 
Despite aggressive behavior and sprinkles and bald tail-she wants to see
bilateral balding of rump before thinking about adrenal disease.  Bald
tail could be seasonal thing-even though it has been two months!  I
repeated-ferret is acting more aggressive and is sprinkling in the middle
of the floor now.  Nope--not time for thinking adrenal.
 
Many questions on FML on this.  When do you bring your ferret in for this?
Here is a potentially valuable answer for you all.  Write to disagree if
you like.  I am only sharing what I was told by a vet who works with
ferrets in a major ferret vet hospital.
 
SAD NEWS for all ferrets: This vet has worked in several offices and was
mildly surprised I came in to see if it was time for adrenal surgery.  She
says that barely any one does anything about adrenal problems.  They mostly
just take their ferrets home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
But this is worse than it appears.  This woman works in hospitals where
adrenal surgeries are performed.  Most vets in this area say that adrenal
disease Should be left alone.  I took the STAR list of vets last year and
spoke with most of the vets on that list.  Half or more-I used to have
exact numbers and let STAR know last year-say to do nothing.
 
Think a lot of people are having adrenal surgery for their ferrets?
Apparently with some of the leading vet experts on ferrets in the area-
this is NOT true around here.
 
This is a very affluent area.  So I was really bummed to hear this.
 
"Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.  Relieve
the troubles of my heart, and bring me out of my distress."
PSALM 25:16-17
[Posted in FML issue 3155]