These are consistent with what other adrenal disease expert vets have
also written:

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG4455 (from 2003)

>Giving steroids like pred will actually suppress the HPA axis and
>thus the adrenal glands. This will not cause the adrenal glands to
>oversecrete the sex hormones or lead to hyperplasia/tumor formation of
>the adrenal glands. Ferrets are steroid resistant for the most part.
>Usually we use pred on a long term basis only in older ferrets with
>insulinoma or lymphoma. Therefore pred is not the reason for adrenal
>gland problems. The current theory is that neonatal spaying/neutering
>(<6 weeks of age) combined with continous long day photoperiods
>(indoors with artifical lights, >14 hours a day) stimulates the
>adrenal gland via a modified HPG axis where the adrenal glands (zona
>reticularis) responds like a gonad. This chronic overstimulation
>leads to the hyperplasia and tumor formation in the adrenal gland.
>
>Now for my questions: at what age do they spay or neuter the pet
>ferrets in Brazil and do the owners keep the ferrets indoors or
>outdoors in Brazil?

>Jerry Murray, DVM
>Dallas, Texas

http://ferrethealth.org/archive/SG569 (from 2002)

>The left adrenal gland gland is usually good news (despite the bad
>pathology report) because it can usually be removed completely. Now to
>answer the other part of your question: what can be done to prevent
>this from happening on Kodi's right adrenal gland.

>There are 3 basic options to treat/or prevent the stimulation to the
>adrenal gland(s). 1) is Lupron depot, 2) is melatonin (pills, liquid,
>or the mink implant), 3) is to keep your ferret in a dark room for 14
>hours a day (ie winter like light condition). These are the options
>to consider and to talk over with your vet.

>Hope that helps,
>Jerry Murray, DVM
>Dallas, TX.

Of course, whole ferrets have a way to shout, "Shut up!" back to the
pituitary so usually adrenal disease in them is seen only after age 5
and usually older, but there are exceptions (which is consistent with
findings that there are genetic predispositions to endocrinological
disease in some lines of ferrets).

We personally have had fewer than 1/3 of our ferrets over 26 years (all
but one early neuters) have adrenal disease, and fewer than 20% have
any type of pancreatic disease (insulinoma, or lymphoma in the
pancreas, or carcinoma in the pancreas), but the darkness our ferrets
have access too is not all in one lump. They are in a huge and covered
cage with sleeping boxes at night during the overlapping hours when
Steve and I both are asleep (and any other time they choose to go in on
their own) and have access to dark areas all during their many uncaged
hours. Most of the adrenal disease has occurred within 2 years after a
long standing medical condition made it impossible to me to allow them
as much access to darkness (first time a bad ovary and the second was
a sensory neural disease).

Anyway, Shirley, those vet posts give the timing for you when you talk
with people, and there are more you can find if you need them.

Sukie (not a vet)
Current FHL address:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/
http://ferrethealth.org/archive/
http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.html
http://www.miamiferret.org/fhc/
http://www.ferretcongress.org/
http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml
http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html

[Posted in FML 5551]