Well, my Brock recently went under for his second adrenal surgery.  It
was a hard decision since during his first he almost died.
 
But I did want to pass on something I have notice in the month since.  I
have dealt with around 10 adrenal surgeries in my time owning ferrets.
Even after Brock's first surgery, the ferrets are up and raising heck the
next day.  I have always allowed them to pace themselves, since they know
much better than I how they feel.
 
However, after Brock's last surgery, he spent a week at the vet's.
Mostly due to them keeping an eye on him since he was having trouble
urinating.  But even after he came home, he was extremely depressed for
about another week.  I have never seen this reaction with any ferret
before.
 
After consulting with a shelter mom who had been through several double
adrenal surgeries and also talking to my vet again, it was obvious that
this was a common reaction to a second surgery.  My vet explained that
taxing the vena cava like that really stressed them and also the
extremely drop in hormone levels.
 
Now as someone who was treated for Grave's Disease and lost her thyroid
due to it, I understand how tough that transition is.  With such a
drastic change in the endocrine system your body just basically freaks.
 
So I just wanted to pass along my observations so that anyone dealing
with the same situation is prepared for the post surgical reaction.
The good news is that Brock has gained over a pound since his surgery.
 
Can we say herbs are great for supportive care? ;-)
 
Blessings,
Maggie
[Posted in FML issue 4163]