[Moderator's note: Part 1 appeared yesterday.  Today's "part 2" was sent
in 2 pieces and combined.  BIG]
 
First, many thanks to all the wonderful people that wrote to me since my
posting part 1.  (Many asked for the address of the research fund (big
smile here!) but Sukie already posted them it in today's FML.)
 
The next thing I found out about Aleutian Disease is that it's an expensive
disease; at least it has been for me.  The first tests through United cost
about $250.00 altogether.  I tested before finding out that you could order
a kit and send samples yourself, without having to use a vet.  So, I had 5,
maybe 6, ferrets that were positive for ADV.  What exactly did that mean?
No one really knows, but rumors flew, i.e. the test was inaccurate, there
were a lot of false positives as well as false negatives; few ferrets
that tested positive ever became ill - that was from an old study done by
Dr. Susan Brown; possibly ferrets that were tested shortly after being
vaccinated for distemper tested positive due to that; certain "5 in 1"
distemper vaccinations could cause a positive result; if a ferret didn't
become ill after about 18 months, he/she was safe, although he/she could
possibly transmit the virus... the list of rumors was endless.  In my
endless conversations with vets who are fairly knowledgeable about ADV, I
found that the test from United is about 90% accurate.  Ferrets that are
positive for ADV can test positive, then negative, then positive, etc.,
depending on the stage.  No on really knew how many ferrets that tested
positive became ill.   Distemper vaccinations, no matter what kind, do
not cause a positive test result (this from Dr. Williams).  White Russian
didn't become ill with AD until he was over 4 years old.  (I've been told
that other illnesses can sometimes trigger the disease itself).
 
Charmin' Charlie became ill first... long before the "scare" began.
Charlie came to me in March of 1999 at 4 months old.  At 5 months, he was
almost 4 lb.  In August of 1999, he became lethargic, didn't want to eat,
and didn't seem to be pooping much.  I found a rubber ball my granddaughter
had dropped with a piece bitten out of it, so Charlie was rushed to the
vet.  He had lost 300 grams since his last vet visit 3 months before.
Upon physical examination, Charlie seemed to experience discomfort when the
vet felt his abdomen.  Emergency surgery was performed, but there was no
blockage.  Everything looked normal.  After a few weeks or so, Charlie
began feeling better, but began acting terrified of everything... sometimes
even me.  Eventually, Charlie wasted down to about 2 lb.  We ran a complete
blood work up at one point and found Charlie had elevated lymphocytes,
an elevated white blood count, one elevated liver enzyme and
hypergammaglobulemia (ratio of gamma globulin to total protein).  I knew
what horrible news that was.  Hypergammaglobulemia is "the hallmark of
Aleutian Disease".  I was devastated... Charlie is the baby here.  The only
other diseases that cause hypergammaglobulemia are certain types of bone
marrow cancer, and they're very rare.  Since his lowest weight, Charlie has
gradually gained a few grams here and there... probably due to numerous
helpings of Bob C's chicken gravy.  Charlie now, however, has symptoms of
early chronic kidney failure.  More tests had to be run.  Charlie isn't
concentrating his urine quite normally.   He also developed a strange
cough/choking noise when he ate.  X-rays showed an enlarged heart, which
was pushing his trachea out of place, and what might be a small amount of
fluid in his chest.  Charlie needs frequent x-rays to keep track of this
so we know when and if medication will be needed.
 
White Russian became ill between Christmas and New Year of 1999.  He became
lethargic, didn't want to eat and didn't seem to be pooping much.  He
developed a terrible "barking" cough.  X-rays showed his lungs were clear
and his heart looked good.  Several weeks of antibiotics and daily
nebulizer treatments finally helped.  I had a complete blood work up done
on him, but other than being a bit low on calcium, everything looked
fine.  The strange thing is that about every 2 months or so, Russian has
a terrible fit of "barking/coughing".  Then he'd be fine for a few months.
Russian began displaying signs of aggression during the spring of this
year.  Eventually, he had to be removed from his cage and cage mates.
Although aggression is not a known symptom of AD, no one could say that it
was "not" a symptom, so a Tennessee Panel was run, which showed that his
hydroxy progesterone was elevated.  Russian "probably" has adrenal
disease.  By this time, Russian had had another blood work up, which showed
hypergammaglobulemia.  Surgery is NOT recommended for ferrets with AD, due
to their compromised immune systems.  Russian got his first 4 month depot
injection of Lupron 3 weeks ago.  ($300.00).  So far, the aggression is
still there.  Dr. Karen Purcell told me at the symposium that Casodex may
stop the aggression.  My vet called and found that the ferret gets the
medication once a day until the symptoms subside, then once a day every
other week for life.  One month's cost is $125.00.  Since Lupron can take
up to 4 weeks to ease symptoms, I'm praying that there's a BIG change in
the next week.  I just want him to be able to be with his friends again for
the remainder of his life, but I don't see how I can afford the Casodex.
Personally, I am not 100% convinced that Russian is adrenal... he has no
other symptoms.  Aggression "could" be a new symptom of AD (the outbreak in
Texas had new symptoms).  The only way, of course, to know for sure would
be do exploratory surgery... but he might not survive that.  Even Dr. Weiss
could not say for sure that the Lupron wouldn't harm Russian, but he felt
"it shouldn't".  (No one has ever done studies on adrenal ferrets with AD).
To be continued...
 
Judy
[Posted in FML issue 3189]