> We use Lupron when surgery isn't possible, NOT as a first choice
> treatment, but it IS the second: not the third choice, and certainly
> not the last... It can be a very , very useful medication but like
> anything else in life it has its limitations.
 
It's also very useful in "questionable" cases.  We have a little girl who
has had a bare tail (only) for over a year.  We did the Tennessee panel,
and my vet has even opened her up (for other biopsies).  The vet said her
adrenals were normal size but "a little hard" so she took one out and
sent it for pathology.  Everything came back negative.
 
Then in November, when I took her in for some other minor complaint, I
happened to notice that her vulva was just a tiny bit swollen so I asked
for Lupron just to be safe.  (According to my vet, Lupron is safe for
non-adrenal ferrets, just useless.) Now, two Lupron injections later,
her tail fur is growing back in!
 
So, it seemed like in her case the bare tail wasn't due to adrenal
disease, but with the Lupron injections, it sure seems that it *is*.
We might never have known without the injections.
 
So, it looks like she'll have to get surgery to remove the remaining
gland soon.
 
roger
[Posted in FML issue 4381]