>From:    Sherri Holden <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Good, bad, waiting
>The bad: While I was there, I noticed a small spot on my Gypsy where all
>the hair was gone.  I immediately started to panic.  My first thought,
>adrenal disease.  So when the Dr. came back I showed it to her and she
>said that she doesn't think that it's adrenal because she's a little
>young, 3 1/2, and also that adrenal disease tends to lose the hair patchy
>and in random places.
 
I don't want to renew your panic, but I don't believe your vet is totally
correct in saying that Gypsy is too young for adrenal disease and that they
lose hair in random patches.  Gypsy may not have adrenal disease, but...
 
Two of my current three have had adrenal surgery at less than three years
of age.  Penny just had adrenal surgery on Friday and is doing well minus
her left adrenal and 3/4's of her right.  She'll be three in December.  My
Spaz had his left adrenal out at two years of age.  There are plenty of
people who have had ferrets under 3.5 years with adrenal problems.  Check
the adrenal survey on my adrenal/insulinoma website and you can get an
idea of the age groups of adrenal ferrets from over 400 participants in
the survey.
 
Classic adrenal hair loss symptoms are: Hair loss on the rear, right at the
base of the tail (like Penny had) or across the shoulder and down the back.
Of course they can and do lose hair in other places, but those seem to be
the most common starting points.
 
For the ferrets,
Mike
 
* Michael F. Janke, [log in to unmask]
* South Florida Ferret Help Line, 305-752-7040
*
* Website:  http://www.miamiferret.org
* Adrenal/Insulinoma web site: http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc
[Posted in FML issue 3180]