I don't want to sound stupid by what I'm about to discuss/ask, but lately
I've felt like I don't know anything anymore about my babies health.
First, I want to say that I have 10 ferts, 5 boys, 5 girls.  The oldest
is almost 5, and the youngest is almost 2, so they're all about the same
age really.  They're all losing fur or it's thinning, but it's hot here,
so some hair loss is obviously expected.  Maybe I'm just paranoid, but
everytime I see an unusual amount of hairloss, but not drastic, I think
"adrenal disease".  Xanth, the first ferret we lost, passed from adrenal
disease.  At the time we had a great vet, he took one look at him and
knew he was adrenal...and Xanth had barely lost any hair, it was just a
patch on the tummy and tail.  So anyway, the vet did a bilateral and took
as much as he could of both glands.  Xanth seemed to get better, finally
grew back his fur and had been doing so well when we found his lifeless
body in the bottom of the cage less than a year after the surgery.  The
surgery had most likely given him more time with us, but to me, it just
wasn't enough.  A tumor had grown back where the right gland was.  And
now that I'm looking at all the hair loss with our current babies, I'm
worried about adrenal disease.  One day I worry it might be Lupi, then
Sammy, then Snap (in fact right now I'm really worried about Snap).  I
don't know what I should do or what I want to do because I don't want to
take them all in for surgery ya know.  I haven't heard anything about it
lately, but can anyone tell me anything new about that panel that tests
for adrenal?  I think it was Tenn.  or something like that.  It's been
over a year since I last heard something on them and at the time they
weren't very trust worthy as far as results.  I was wondering if someone
could tell me of any other tests the vet could do besides surgery.  I
hate to put anybody through surgery unless I'm sure it's right or it's
the last option.  Please don't think I'm a bad ferret mommy, because I
really love my babies and if I had to take them all in for surgery to
cure them or give them longer lives, I would do it in a heart beat...I'm
just not sure that's what I should be thinking right now.  Snap is really
the only one I'm worried about, but she's so fat that a lot of the fur on
her underside is always rubbing off/away.  I just wish these little guys
and gals could tell us when they are sick or hurting.  I've been watching
for signs, but they're acting quite normal.
 
Please email me privately.
Thank you,
Ann H
[Posted in FML issue 4988]