I know what you are going through as I have had 4 different ferrets with
adrenal all showing different symptoms.
 
Because we lived outside of the USA for many years while having ferrets
and did not have a ferret vet, those that had adrenal could not be
operated on.  Dusty lived until she was about 8.  She was our little cute
DEW who lost most of her hair, and began to retain fluids.  We treated her
with Lasix, for the water retention and potassium supplement for all that
excess pee.  Luckily she never had a swollen vulva, so there was never a
problem with infection.  She was lethargic, just kind of hung around and
liked to be held.  Looking back now (she crossed the bridge in 1994) I'm
surprised she lived as long as she did.
 
Skippy was out next adrenal.  By this time the internet had arrived to PR
and I was able to get lots of information.  My regular vet would not even
think about doing surgery on him.  SO I finally found a veterinary
surgeon, very renown, but had never done a ferret.  I felt I had to do
something because my little guy had gone from a hippity hop, to a slug.
The surgery was a success, but I think he died of insulinoma shock after
about 36 hours.  Inexperience on both of our parts.
 
Rocki and Silveretta both started to show symptoms in mid 1999.  Still
living in Puerto Rico I refused to even thin about surgery again after
what happened to Skippy.  So I opted for Lupron, which turned out to be
the miracle drug.  Both ferrets had wonderful results, growing back all
their hair, getting their energy back, and muscle tone.
 
I then moved to the states.  I knew that when the Lupron wore off I would
have to make the decision of surgery/lupron or what.  Though the Lupron
was supposed to last 4 months, It was 9 months when Rocki got sick.  Very
sick, very fast.  Turned out he had a cancerous kidney (during this
surgery it was observed that it was his right adrenal and the vet left it
alone as he was having so much other surgery at the time).  Rocki lived 8
more months, fighting worse disease that the adrenal ever would be.
 
Now to my success story, which in reality is probably what would happen
with most otherwise healthy ferrets.  Ten months after Silveretta's first
Lupron shot, she began having adrenal symptoms again.  So we opted for
surgery.  She came through it like a trooper.  The vet said to keep her
separated from the other ferrets and to keep her in a cage.  She doesn't
even have a cage!  She was a little groggy on the way home, but soon
afterward she climbed out of her snug be and calmly walked over to the
paper in the corner of the room to go potty.  Then proceeded to eat like a
pigglette.  Surgery was in the Beginning of Dec 2000.  All her hair grew
back and she was going great.  Then about 4 months ago, she started
loosing her hair again, her vulva became swollen and her nipples all hard.
She turned 7 in Sept.  I guess I just wasn't ready to put her through
right adrenal surgery within less than a year from her last.  So we did
the Lupron again.  She has grown beautiful hair on her belly and neck and
about 1/2 her back had new growth about 1/4 inch long, the rest has a
bunch of fuzzies.  He is more active than she has been in over a year.
 
I guess in all this babbling I am trying to say there are options to
surgery.  If you have a good ferret vet and an otherwise healthy and young
ferret, I say go for the surgery.  But if it's an older ferret, not in
it's prime of health...Lupron is another way to go.  It is no cheaper,
costs about $200 for the 4 month depot shot, which in my experience has
lasted up to 12 months.
 
Best of luck in what ever you decide to do.  It's not easy.  I guess we
just wish they all were a lot healthier.
 
Come see our ferrets...
 www.geocities.com/huronna
[Posted in FML issue 3583]