I have been very interested about the recent discussion of adrenal
recurrence and the possibility of the effects of adrenocortical tissue.
My ferret Sylvester had adrenal surgery this past August (2000).  His left
adrenal gland which was quite enlarged was removed.  Although the right
gland had apparently shrunk to accommodate the growth of the left, my vet
froze what was there.  Within two months after the surgery, Sylvester began
to revert back to his sexually aggressive behavior.  His coat improved
some, however it is still thin on his rear end.  Although he has regrown
some hair on his tail, it is still mostly bald and covered in black heads.
I understand that the problems with his coat could possibly be seasonal
and am looking forward to his shedding this spring.  Nevertheless, his
aggression towards my other male and female ferret worries me greatly.  I
don't think that another surgery would be a good idea.  We are not sure of
Sly's age, although it is probably around 5 or 6.  I have spoken with my
vet about using Lupron, but we have decided to wait and watch his coat for
signs of any new hair loss.  After the surgery we did have a biopsy done;
however, I cannot remember the specific findings off hand.  During the
surgery a portion of his spleen was removed for biopsy because it was quite
enlarged.  but the result was that the tissue was normal.  Also, my vet
removed some nodules from his pancreas.  We are monitoring his blood
glucose levels and they have all been fine.  Any comments are welcome.
 
Jennifer, Sylvester, Fivel and Oliver
[log in to unmask]
[Posted in FML issue 3301]