>From: Jodie Whisenand
>I suspect that my 2yr.  old female ferret may have "adrenal disease".
>
>She has been losing hair from her tail and now creeping onto her body,
>but otherwise seems normal.  I know I need to get her in for treatment
>quickly, but wondered if you could give me some idea as to what charges
>I can expect if she does need surgery, so I can plan for this in our
>budget.  I realize charges vary from area to area, but any information
>you can provide would be appreciated.
 
Dear Jodie -
 
Unfortunately, I don't track charges because they very so much from area
to area and practice to practice - within the last two weeks, I have heard
quotes ranging from $125 to $2000 depending on the workup.
 
I would suggest that you contact your vet and find out if they are willing
to do surgery based on clinical signs alone or usually would require
additional workup prior to surgery.  Some practices doing testing that I
believe is not necessary in most cases, such as ultrasound.
 
Ballpark average - $350-500.00 in most locales.  For that amount of money,
I would research the qualifications of the vets in your area and go to the
best one.  Surprisingly, the best in the country are generally those with
the lowest prices, and a high fee for surgery is no guarantee of the
quality of the surgery.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams DVM
[Posted in FML issue 3286]