I was told the implant was used to treat Lymphoma, not Adrenal Disease

Dear Arlena,

Your vet is obviously not ferret-savvy!

It is time to find a ferret-knowledgeable vet before damage is done to
your baby.

Melatonin implants are a method some swear by for adrenal gland
disease. It is inexpensive, and seems to shrink swollen vulvas in some
of the females, and some have had good results with re-growing fur.
We only tried thirty of them. They were inexpensive, and seemed to
help some, for a couple of months. There was some fur regrowth, and
some relief. (It took me months to work up the courage to do one of
these---the needle is HUGE!!!) We distracted our ferties with a plate
of ferretone, and when the spear went in, the ferret never even
flinched or missed a lick! We had two exceptions--Timothy & Pinky.
They are both very fragile, and thin-skinned.

Surgery is another option--but after putting many, MANY through
surgery, we discovered that often---usually within a year, the disease
was back in the other gland, & symptoms re-appeared. The surgery is
delicate, expensive & invasive, The incision is very long. Some ferrets
are not good surgical candidates. I would not trust an ordinary vet
to do this--only an exotic specialist, or a vet with many adrenal
surgeries under his/her belt. You could lose your furkid. The longest
one of our babies lived, following adrenal surgery was almost three
years. Most lived around two more years.

Then there is lupron. It is expensive, but non-invasive. We use the
four month depot. It often (usually!) lasts a bit longer. We use Dr.
Weiss's protocol. (2 mg injected into the scruff) This depot will not
show effects immediately--it could be 3-4 weeks before fur begins to
appear. However, most of the ferret's other symptoms will disappear,
and inside, the tumor's growth is remarkably slowed--and possibly
is even shrinking. The longest one of our babies lived on lupron was
3 1/2 years. Most are living 2-3 more years.

Most vets out there (ferret vets!) are using the one month depot. It's
good-- The only drawback (besides cost) is that you are at the vet
monthly. (Some vets don't charge the office call--they only charge for
the injection. Cost varies from around $35.- $65.) Results are usually
good.

We buy a human 4 month 30 mg. depot from Canada & divide it ourselves.
This takes care of 15 ferrets. It is not practical for the average
ferret owner, but it is a Godsend to US. We have 22 ferrets on the
drug. The plus is that it is more cost-effective than the one month
depot, and only needs to be done every 4-6 months. It is given in the
scruff instead of the muscle ( Easier, as ferrets don't have much
muscle to inject into LOL)

Two odd things we have seen on occasion are: The albinos or very
light-colored babies' fur sometimes turns orangey, or goldish looking
at the injection site. The spot is about the size of a quarter. This is
harmless, but odd. Another thing that happens (although rarely) is that
a lump develops at the injection site. The first time it happened here,
I really was upset!! I thought the fertie had developed lymphoma. LOL.
There it was---about three weeks after the injection---a knot about the
size of a peanut. Upon checking one of my vet manuals , it cautioned
the practitioner to NOT remove the knot----that they would be removing
the depot!!!! As time passed, it absorbed. The ferret never experienced
any pain or discomfort. The knot wasn't really visable--you could just
feel it. One very important thing we learned was that when that
happened, the depots usually LASTED longer!!!!! (So it was a GOOD
thing!!!)

At this point, I have given approximately 180 lupron injections. We
have seen lumps on maybe 8-10 babies. We have seen a few who didn't get
their fur back--due to other health issues. But one consistent factor
was that they all FELT good. We have never had a lupron boy develop a
urinary blockage.

Our objective is to keep them comfortable & happy, for as long as
possible.

Our lupron babies have outlasted our surgical babies.

We have a broad base of experience here--and we regard lupron as a
wonder drug.

We understand that there's soon to be a "new kid in town" An implant
called deslorelin (if I spelled that correctly) or superlorelin
(again--unsure of spelling.) It is being used elsewhere in the world
already, with great results. More cost-effective, longer lasting, and
supposedly works wonderfully. Hopefully, it will become available soon
for ferties in the United States.

Disclaimer: LOL---We are not vets--I am just sharing our experiences
with you.

Very best wishes with your little one.

Love,
Zoo

[Posted in FML 5745]