Fur regrowth is NOT really a great indicator of how well an adrenal treatment is or is not working. For fur regrowth melatonin will almost always work better because it also grows fur due to a dermal (meaning skin, in this case on the follicles there) effect which is why some give it to fur farm animals. Yet it has less effect on the adrenals themselves than the class of drugs that include other adrenal treatments. See research from New Zealand on that use in ferrets and sheep or even past posts on that topic in the archives (archive address in the header of each day's digest). Searching tips: http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL11292 Melatonin can be given ALONG WITH a Suprelorin Implant (the form of deslorelin which works for ferrets normally) or can be used along with Lupron Depot (the form of Lupron which works for ferrets normally), so does not have to be stopped when either of those meds is used. Melatonin affects the adrenals through a different mechanism than the related drugs in the class that Lupron, deslorelin, and Trelstar are in, so using both can produce more of an effect. See: http://ferrethealth.org/archive/FHL9453 for a bit of an introduction. There are more relevant posts but I lack time to find them for you so you will need to search them out yourself. Some of the factors that can affect how well a drug works or does not: 1. wrong drug form (if the daily form of deslorelin or Lupron is used then adrenal disease can actually worsen. See the mechanism for those two related drugs in http://www.miamiferret.org/24hr_lupron.htm 2. mishandling of drug in shipment or after arrival 3. wrong amount used 4. expired drug given and there are more Something that will LOOK LIKE ADRENAL DISEASE BUT IS NOT which some people here may be IMPOSING UPON FERRETS but not even know it: <http://news.vin.com/VINNews.aspx?articleId=15950> <http://www.fda.gov/Safety/MedWatch/SafetyInformation/SafetyAlertsforHumanMedicalProducts/ucm220548.htm> <http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm220217.htm> Also, estrogenic products like tea tree oil or lavender oil may worsen symptoms. See past posts on those, too, to learn why, and find references. 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.html http://www.miamiferret.org/ http://www.ferrethealth.msu.edu/ http://www.ferretcongress.org/ http://www.trifl.org/index.shtml http://homepage.mac.com/sukie/sukiesferretlinks.html all ferret topics: http://listserv.ferretmailinglist.org/archives/ferret-search.html "All hail the procrastinators for they shall rule the world tomorrow." (2010, Steve Crandall) [Posted in FML 6780]
