Dear Lisa:
 
>I was hoping I could get some info from you good ferret people.  My
>4 1/2 year old Chamois has an enlarged spleen.  My Vet says it is nothing
>without other symtoms.  He is playing and eating and pooping fine.  He may
>get tired a little more easily.  Back in September we went through ECE.
>I took in a one year old who apparantly carried ECE and spread it to my
>three fur kids.  Chamois had thinning hair up until late November and my
>vet and I were concerned about Adrenal Disease, (he calls it cushings
>disease)but didn't want to rush because of the stress of being him being
>ill.  In late November Chamoi's hair started coming back.  He is a silver
>that turned into a white.  His new coat is coming in thick.  What signs
>should I be looking for?  Why is his spleen enlarged?  Also, his hair
>thinned gradually, and came back gradually.  Should I be worried??
 
The vast majority of enlarged spleens are the result of chronic smouldering
inflammation, and most often from the GI tract.  Your previous history
with ECE is probably enough of a trigger for an enlarged spleen.  The
enlargement is the result of a proliferation of immature red and white
blood cells due to the presence of inflammatory substances in the
bloodstream.  This is a common problem in ferrets and in some with
extremely large spleens may necessitate removal.  Less than 5% of spleens
are enlarged due to the presence of a tumor, but an aspirate of the spleen
will quickly give information as to which problem you are dealing with.
 
Regarding Chamois' hair regrowth - in a number of ferrets with adrenal
disease (Cushing's disease is not an appropriate term for this disease in
ferrets, as cortisol is not elevated), we see hair loss and regrwoth, as
the tumor is not secreting large amounts of estrogen - just enough to cause
hair loss, but not follicular damage.  The hair shaft will regrow again,
but often times during the next shed period, the estrogen levels have
reached a point where the follicle becomes damaged enough that it will not
support hair growth.  This damage is generally reversible once the source
of the estrogen is removed.
 
Other signs you might want to look for are aggression to other ferrets,
marking, increased smell, or rarely, urinary difficulties.  You still are
facing surgery, however.
 
With kindest regards,
Bruce Williams, DVM
[Posted in FML issue 3299]