Ferrets do NOT normally have problems with adrenal surgery as long as
the vet is good, there is proper post-op care at home, the ferret is
not one of the rare ones who have to adjust afterward to having the
Vena Cava ligated, AND if there is care taken to provide replacements
for needed adrenal products if both adrenals are removed completely
or mostly, or if one is atrophied. Those usually are just either
Fludrocort/Florinef AND Prednisolone, OR Percorten AND Prednisolone.
Some of those also need some extra salt in the diet until the right
dosing is found. They can also need extra of their meds when under
strong stresses. There seem to still be too many people who let ferrets
climb (even small amounts) after surgery in the first 2 weeks, don't
keep them hydrated and fed post-op, or otherwise do things that can
kill after surgery. There also seem to be too many vets who rarely
handle ferrets who don't know how and when to replace adrenal products.
The amounts needed of the meds is small, BTW. I am under the impression
that one resource might have wrong dosing given what one vet thought
would be needed.
There is a lot on post-op or post-surgical care in the archives of
both the FML and FHL, and i sent you some resources yesterday.
When going non-surgically melatonin is a help but only a minor one
compared to other meds that is can and should be used ALONG WITH like
Lupron or deslorelin.
Sukie (not a vet)
Recommended ferret health links:
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/ferrethealth/http://ferrethealth.org/archive/http://www.afip.org/ferrets/index.htmlhttp://www.miamiferret.org/http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/http://www.ferretcongress.org/http://www.trifl.org/index.shtmlhttp://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html
all ferret topics:
http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html
[Posted in FML 6418]
